Mano magistro baigiamasis darbas

05Jun09

Nusprendžiau čia įdėti savo šviežiai iškeptą magistro darbą. Juk žadėjau dalyvavusiems apklausoje, kad paskelbsiu. Dar nėra jo recenzijos, bet iš žodinių atsiliepimų sprendžiant, jis įdomus, bet nepakankamai moksliškas. Ginsiu šį darbą prieš komisiją ateinantį pirmadienį. Jei gausiu mažiau 7 – pažymio neskelbsiu ;)

Ai, beje – jo pavadinimas „Demokratinės minties raida Pietų Korėjos ir Lietuvos aukštajame moksle: lyginamoji analizė“. Nenuobodaus skaitymo.


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Apklausa magistro darbui

11May09

Atlieku studentų apklausą apie užimtumą mokykloje ir universitete. Tokį tyrimą jau esu atlikusi Korėjoje prieš metus, dabar renku duomenis Lietuvoje. Būčiau labai dėkinga už Jūsų sugaištą laiką.
http://www.publika.lt/lt/apklausa-15-4a07d55ab3c31.html


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Kimči

28Mar09

Čia aprašysiu, kaip mes namuose gaminomės kimči. Yra daugybė receptų paruošti daugybei rūšių kimči. Aš savo gamybos kimči daviau paragauti vienam korėjiečiui ir jis pasakė, jog tai baltoji kimči rūšis. Tebūnie :-) Šis receptėlis, kurį aprašysiu, tikrai nepretenduoja į geriausią paruošimo būdą – tiesą sakant manau, kad galima pasigaminti daug paprasčiau ir skaniau (toptelėjo pasižiūrėti Youtube). Bet mano žinia ta, kad Lietuvoje pasigaminti gana tikro skonio kimči yra įmanoma!
Kimči gali būti gaminami iš visų rūšių kopūstų, ridikų ir dar bala žino ko. Keletas nuotraukų apačioje.

Mes bandėme pasigaminti pirmoje nuotraukoje pavaizduotus kimči.

Taigi jums reikės:

  • 1 kiniško kopūsto
  • 1 baltojo ridiko (geriau tinka tas žalsvas plokščias, nei tas baltas pailgas)
  • svogūnų laiškų
  • imbiero miltelių
  • 1/4 stiklinės aitriųjų paprikų miltelių (tikras kimči gaminamas su pipirų lakšteliais, bet Lietuvoje yra tik smulkių miltelių)
  • 1/4 stiklinės druskos
  • 3 skiltelių česnako
  • (sezamo sėklų)

Gamybos eiga:

  1. Nuimkite kopūsto lapus ir perpjaukite kiekvieną išilgai į dvi puses.
  2. Paruoškite druskos tirpalą – ištirpinkite druską 1 stiklinėje šalto vandens.
  3. Įdėkite kopūstus į pakankamai didelį indą ir užpilkite druskos tirpalu. Vienos stiklinės kopūstams apsemti neužteks… tokiu atveju aš užpilu daugiau vandens, nors nežinau, ar tai teisinga. Šiame vandenyje kopūstai turi pramirkti nuo 5 val. iki 1 dienos. Geriausia palikti juos nakčiai.
  4. Vandenį nupilkite į atskirą indą. Kopūstus kruopščiai įtrinkite pipirų ir imbiero milteliais.
  5. Smulkiai supjaustykite česnaką, 2 cm ilgio juostelėmis svogūnų laiškus ir nedideliais gabalėliais ridiką.
  6. Viską sumeskite į indą su kopūstais ir užpilkite tuo pačiu vandeniu. Galite įmesti šaukštelį kitą sezamo sėklų (aš įmetu ir daugiau). Tuomet indą sandariai uždarykite ir laikykite kambario temperatūroje nuo 3 parų iki 6 mėnesių ;-) Pateikite smulkiau sukarpę žirklėmis.

Keli pagerinimai:

  • Vietoj to, kad kopūstus trinti pipirais ir imbieru, o vėliau maišyti su likusiom daržovėm, galima atskirai pasigaminti tokį padažiuką iš pipirų, imbiero, česnako, svogūnų laiškų ir ko nors skystesnio, pvz. sojos padažo. Vieną receptą žinau, kur dar įmaišo mikseriu susmulkintų obuolių ir kriaušių. Tuomet smulkiau supjaustytus kopūstus ir ridiką tiesiog sumaišyti su šiuo padažu ir palikti sandariame inde. Jei padažas pakankamai skystas, vandens pilti nereikia.

Na gerai, tai buvo tik vienas pagerinimas.

Iš patirties galiu pasakyti, kad 3 parų laikymo neužtenka, kad kopūstai įgytų tikrų kimči skonį. Tam reikia mažiausiai 5 parų.
Skanaus!


Filed under: Gyvenimo patirtis, Korea, Maistas / Food, Uncategorized   |  2 Comments

Pradedama nauja skiltis – korėjietiško maisto gaminimas

11Mar09

Praeitų metų lapkričio 16-ąją, o būtent per toostis.com pirmąjį gimtadienį, su Giedriumi pradėjome kalbėtis apie korėjietišką maistą ir kaip mes jo pasiilgome. Su Giedriumi mes susipažinome Korėjoje, nors pasirodo, jog baigėme tą pačią gimnaziją Klaipėdoje. Žodžiu taip bekalbėdami nusprendėme pabandyti kada nors pasigaminti ko nors korėjietiško. Pirmasis bandymas įvyko po kelių mėnesių ir nuo tada jau spėjome išbandyti keletą patiekalų. Atėjo momentas, kai prireikė visas tas žinias ir bandymų metu įgautą patirtį užrašyti taip, kad nepamirštume patys ir kad būtų naudinga kitiems, ypač Lietuvoje.

Maistas

Taigi pradėsiu užrašinėti mūsų bandytus receptus su nuotraukomis ir patarimais, kur gauti reikalingų produktų (dažniausiai tiesiog rašysiu, kad reikalingų produktų Lietuvoje nėra). Pirmasis įrašas bus skirtas patiekalui, kurį korėjiečiai valgo kasdien pusryčiams, pietums ir vakarienei. Ne, tai ne ryžiai – tai kitas populiariausias patiekalas – kimči ;-)

Beje, lauksime klausimų, patarimų ir pasiūlymų. Būtų malonu atrasti ir kitų, bandančių pasigaminti Azijietiškų ir ypač Korėjietiškų patiekalų :-)


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Buddha’s Birthday impressions in Seoul, 2008

28May08

In South Korea, Buddha’s Birthday is surely one of the most beautiful and important festivals not only for Buddhists themselves, but for the whole nation. It was established as a national festival in 1960’s along with Christmas and is celebrated annually on the 8th day of the 4th month by the Lunar calendar. This year Korea celebrated the so called 부처님 오신 날 (Bucheonim osin nal, meaning “the day when Buddha arrived”) on May 12th, though various celebrations started long before that day.

yellow elephant

From the foreigner’s, that came from a 100 percent Christian country, point of view, Buddhist traditions and celebrations in Korea look very nicely blended with Korean culture itself. First of all, there is no feeling of uncomfortable religiousness in the events. The whole city of Seoul is decorated with lotus lanterns for several weeks prior to Buddha’s day, which becomes inseparable part of the city. The events start more than one week before that day in order for temples to have their own special ceremonies on Buddha’s birthday itself.

On May 4th there was a traditional parade of Buddhist monks and lay people from various Buddhist countries, dressed in traditional clothing, carrying lotus lanterns, shining statues and other decorations, accompanied by the sound of drums. The parade is interesting to watch, for the view and sound keeps changing, bringing new energy and a spirit of a true festival. From the beginning to end the parade has crowds of spectators on the both sides of the road.

On the day of Buddha’s birthday temples open their doors for crowds of believers. Usually the sermons are held in the morning and the rest of the day is left for tourists or other events. Visiting the biggest temple in Seoul – Jogyesa – was quiet surprising, since the sermon was held in the evening and it gathered really many believers, as well as tourists.

The activities in the temple were quiet well organized. The tourists wondering around didn’t seem to disturb the praying people and there were really many wandering tourists. The tourist information desk was also helpful. There was a nice “ajumeoni” handing out various flyers, books and DVDs for tourists about Korean Buddhism and Temple Stay programs. As soon as she saw a foreigner, she would hand in all this information adding tour guides of Seoul. This and many families taking pictures on the background of hundreds of lotus lanterns created a festive atmosphere that was felt in the whole city.


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Lithuania’s education system – between Korea and the US

28May08

Dar šiek tiek apie švietimą. Šis rašinėlis dalykui Amerikos kultūra.

Education is undoubtedly one of the most important areas of the nation’s interests, the inseparable part of the country’s policy and one of the most money consuming activities supported by any government. Undoubtedly, education defines the future of the nation. Curiously, it is also one of the most problematic area with many struggles and arguments. This paper will attempt to describe the situation of Lithuania’s education system, comparing it with Korean as well as American styles.

Since the very independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Lithuania began it’s rally of education reforms. Whether due to communist kind of thinking or pure incompetence, the national pride of a free nation didn’t last long and due to corrupt politicians the reform is still being planned, followed by numerous demonstrations and public dissatisfaction. First of all, let me describe Lithuanian education system in short.

Almost all secondary schools and all universities in Lithuania are national. There are only a few private collages that provide professional education and are not considered as high level educational institutions. This brings Lithuanian government to spending a big part – 5.89% of the national DGP, compared with European average of 5.22% on education. Comparing Lithuania’s education with other European countries, the outcome is quite promising – Lithuania is one of the leading countries in the fields of length of studying, relative number of young people studying, number of students with higher education, etc. However, Lithuania is at the bottom of the list when it comes to number of students with special needs or amount of money spent on scientific researches.

On May 22nd 2008 on the Independence square of Lithuanian capital Vilnius students held a demonstration against the currently planned higher education reform. The main accent of the reform is making universities non-free for all students and largely increasing the fee. Right now the universities have non-paying students, as well as paying the whole fee (approx. 500 $ a year) and half of the fee. The reform also plans to give more independence to universities. Lithuanian students fear that more independence would mean higher costs and less study programs, because such sciences as physics, chemistry, arts, etc. require a lot more means than, for example, economy, business management or administration.

The other major problem of Lithuania as a country, directly influencing education, is emigration of youth. Most common emigration countries are United Kingdom, Ireland, the Scandinavia countries. Lithuanian students argue that if the costs of universities increases, then there is no point in staying in Lithuania and getting the education there, rather than going to UK and getting a better education for the same costs and frankly, with better loaning conditions provided by banks.

This is all true, however, seeing Korea’s example, one starts to wonder how that kind of model works. Almost all of Korea’s universities are private and all students (or their parents) pay quiet a lot of money for their education. Moreover, there is a wide spectrum of available studies – from economics and business to physics, computer science and medicine, with private hospitals and laboratories. All of this is funded by student fees and no one seems to be extremely disappointed about that.

On the other hand, Korean universities are not in top universities of the world, or at least Asia. Even though Seoul National University is No. 63 in world’s best universities (2006), it being national doesn’t mean that the reason of success (or failure) of Korean universities lies in them being national or private. It is more an issue of how Koreans see education system as a whole. It is said that Korean universities are quiet easy compared with universities of other countries because Korean high schools are very difficult. If one succeeds in graduating high school and entering a university, he is considered to be worthy of the diploma even before graduating.

This also seems to be confirmed by a research, held in May 2008 in Korea’s Kyunghee university by the author of this article. There are no official results yet, but the hypothesis of Korea’s high schools being too difficult and universities being too easy will be confirmed. The author surveyed 30 Korean students and 20 foreign students in Kyunghee university, asking to state how many hours they spent in school and university. Foreign students were also asked to compare their home university and Kyunghee. The results are already obvious – average number of hours spent on studies in high schools a day is more than 8 and average number of hours spent in university a day is less than 3. The students were also asked if school and university curriculum is too difficult and are they happy to have studied hard in high school. Though most of Korean students answered to be extremely unhappy about having studied hard, most of them also answered that school was not too difficult (giving an average of 3 points out of 5), and same goes for university.

Looking though the answers of foreign students, the impression is that they find Korean university quiet different from their home university, the answers vary from 3 to 5 points out of 5. Considering this and the list of the world’s best universities where US universities occupy the bigger part of, it really makes you think that there is something wrong with the Korean attitude towards education and may be there is not so much wrong with US education. Returning to Lithuania, it seems that it hasn’t found its style yet. Being able to describe Lithuanian schools and universities both from the view point of an insider and outsider, the schools education is probably better that world’s average and universities – worse than average. There isn’t such a big difference between schools and universities as in Korea or USA, but it is closer to Korea with an ambiguous financing model that will surely cause some major reforms.


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Comparison of students’ occupation in secondary and higher educational institutions in South Korea

28May08

Tyrimų metodologijos dalykui reikėjo trumpai aprašyti būsimo tyrimo detales. Ta-da!

I. Introduction

I.1. Background of study

The author of this paper and this research entitled “Comparison of students’ occupation in secondary and higher educational institutions in South Korea” is a Lithuanian master degree student majoring in education management in Vilnius University. This research is going to be a part of her thesis on comparison of Korea’s and Lithuania’s educational systems, how educational models changed in time undergoing economical, political, religious, cultural and social changes.

I.2. Problem statement

Formal education in Korea began during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D.668) under the influence of the Chinese educational system and later was influenced by Confucian and Buddhist philosophies.

Korea’s educational system opened for the West only in late 19th century.

This research will focus on finding roots of students’ occupation difference in high schools and universities assuming that the secondary education hard learning style comes from Eastern education tradition and higher learning institutions’ way of teaching comes from Western style higher education.

I.3. Research purpose

The purpose of this research is to compare students’ occupation in high school and university in South Korea, and specifically in Kyunghee university in Seoul, and find out if the difference is significant, what are the reasons of the difference in students’ opinion and to find proof to the hypothesis of this research. This research also aims to compare the results with foreign countries’ students and evaluate the results from historical point of view.

I.4. Research objectives

The objectives of this research are to find out:

  • how much time Korean and foreign students spent in elementary, middle and high school in their country, both for class and after-class activities,how much time Korean and foreign students spend in their university and for foreign students – in Kyunghee university,

  • how much time Korean and foreign students spend in their university and for foreign students – in Kyunghee university,

  • weather foreign students see significant difference between curriculum requirements in their home universities and Kyunghee university,

  • weather Korean students see much difference in secondary school and university.

I.5. Importance of the research

The results of the research may serve as up-to-date facts about Korean secondary and higher education. The current research will be useful for the author’s future thesis which attempts to compare South Korea’s and Lithuania’s educational models.

II. Literature review

The author has reviewed some articles on Korean education history written in English language. Here are provided extracts from these articles which mainly explain Korea’s secondary education issues.

“On noting the schedule of many high school students, it is not abnormal for them to arrive home from school at midnight, after intensive “self-study” sessions supported by the school. The curriculum is often noted as rigorous, with as many as 11 or so subjects and some students choose to attend private academies called 학원 (學院, pronounced hagwons) to boost their academic performance.“

∗∗∗

”Because of the importance of the university entrance examination in determining one’s career prospects, students are under intense pressure to study long hours. The high school years, especially, are a time when students have little chance to do much except study.”

∗∗∗

”The Korean saying “Sleep five hours and fail, sleep four hours and pass” is taken seriously; for three years students typically begin school at 6 a.m. and finish at midnight; some students finish at 10 p.m. and go to hagwons until midnight or 1 a.m.”

∗∗∗

”In 2003 it was reported that roughly 75% of elementary schools and 80% of middle and high schools employ corporal punishment..a 1999 poll found that almost 75% of parents support it.”

∗∗∗

”In 2005 students gathered in Seoul for a candlelight vigil in memory of friends who had committed suicide and to protest for shorter school hours and an end to the haircut policy. A significant number of them wore masks and asked reporters not to take photographs out of fear of being punished by their teachers; some schools warned their students not to attend.”

Most of the articles stress not only the rigorousness of Korean high schools, but also the success of Korean students in all kinds of international contests. None, however, speak about any outstanding methods of Korea’s universities or success of their students.

As noted by Kyunghee university professor David A. Mason, all students need their play time. South Korea and the United States take different approaches considering that circumstance. American kids have a relaxed time in high schools and hard studies in universities. 37 out of 50 world’s best universities appear to be in the United States. Even though these universities have a large amount of Asian, and especially Korean students, South Korean universities seem to be more similar to US high schools, in terms of relaxation and enjoying the young days. If we had to put Lithuanian education somewhere in between the US and South Korea, it would probably be closer to Korea, though it often depends on the school and on the university.

This is the list of revised literature:

III. Reseach methodology

  • Below is a model of the research.

modelis

  • Research period:
    May 7    th – 21st, 2008

  • Research target:
    Korean (appr. 30) and foreign (appr. 20) Kyunghee university students

  • Research location:
    Kyunghee university campus

  • Research method:
    Survey


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Historical Review of Korea’s Education

25Apr08

Straipsnis iš asianinfo.org apie švietimo Korėjoje istoriją. Jei turėsiu laiko, papostinsiu ir vertimą. Manau vistiek prireiks.

There is an old saying in Korea: “One should not step even on the shadow of one’s teacher.” This proverb relays the degree of respect traditionally accorded to teachers. While there have been many changes to the Korean educational system since its adoption of modern teaching methods, much of the old tradition remains.

Education in Ancient Korea

It generally is taken for granted that Koreans have traditionally attached great importance to education, a view that continues to this day. According to ancient history texts, formal education in Korea began during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D.668) under the influence of the Chinese educational system.

It was in 372 that a state-operated institute for higher education known as T’aehak (National Confucian Academy) was established in the Koguryo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D.668). A similar institution for higher education named Kukh’ak (National Confucian College) was set up in 682 during the Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D.935). Shilla also established a unique training system called the hwarangdo (The way of “Flower of Youth Corps”), to educate the elite youth of the aristocratic class. The hwarangdo proved instrumental in unifying the Korean Peninsula in the seventh century. The Paekche Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D.660) also emphasized education and produced numerous scholars in various academic disciplines, many of whom made important contributions to early Japanese culture.

Higher education in all these kingdoms tended to be focused on the study of Chinese classics. Although the succeeding Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) adopted Buddhism as its state religion, Confucian studies continued to have a major influence on academic circles and the educational system. The institutionalization of the civil service examination in the mid-10th century set the pattern for educational reform, by directing the role of education toward preparing young men for public service. Koryo founded a state institution for higher education called Kukchagam (National University) in 992 in its capital, Kaesong. It was also about that time that the central government began to dispatch scholars to provincial areas to implement education for local residents.

By the late 14th century, however, Buddhism gradually declined. The founders of the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) turned to Confucianism instead as the source of basic principles for national politics, ethics and social institutions. The highest educational institution during the Choson period was the Songgyungwan (National Confucian Academy), which also served as the center of Confucian studies. On the secondary level, there were two kinds of schools: haktang in the capital of Hanyang (today’s Seoul) and hyanggyo in villages. Private schools called sodang carried out primary education.

Education during the Choson Dynasty was mainly viewed as a means to prepare young aristocratic men for future public service. Examinations in the Chinese classics were the major criteria for qualification. This tradition has survived as the backbone of Korean education system until the late 19th century, when Korea opened its door to the West.

Advent of Modern Schools in Korea

Korea actually experienced the budding of a strong movement for modernization in the late 17th to 18th century. A group of young scholars came together to search for practical ways to utilize academic knowledge for the purpose of modernizing the country. Their scholarship and thought became known as sirhak or “Practical Learning.”

Those pioneering young scholars had become disillusioned by the impractical theoretical discussion that dominated conservative academic circles at that time. They sought the practical application of knowledge in all disciplines of learning, including history, politics, economics, the natural sciences and humanities, and attempted to utilize them in building a modernized nation. Of special note is the fact that they tried to draw lessons from the experience of Qing China, which had learned a great deal from its contact with the West.

The waves of Western culture and modernization that reached the coast of the “Hermit Kingdom,” as Korea was known to the West, were powerful enough to move King Kojong to issue an edict in 1882 to open the doors of state-run schools to citizens of all classes. Yugyong-kongwon, which was Korea’s first school in a modern sense, was established in 1886. It employed American missionary teachers who taught English with the aid of interpreters.

The schools established by Western Christian missionaries contributed greatly to the early development of modern education in Korea. The first missionary school, Paichai Haktang, was founded in 1886 by a mission group from the North Methodist Church led by Henry G. Appenzeller. A boys’ high school, Kyongshin, was established in 1887 by a Presbyterian group. Ewha Haktang, which was set up in 1886 by a Methodist mission group, was Korea’s first school for girls. Five other missionary schools were founded in major cities in the following years.

The 1900s saw a mushrooming of private secondary schools founded by Koreans, most of whom were wealthy aristocrats who had come to realize the importance of education during the critical period that preceded Japan’s annexation of Korea in 1910. The most notable of these were the boy’s schools Posong, Yangjong and Whimoon located respectively in Seoul, Osan and P’yongyang, and the girl’s schools Sookmyung, Chinmyong and Dongduck, all located in Seoul.

American Christian missionaries also established the Choson Christian College (which later developed into Yonsei University) in Seoul in 1905, and Soongsil College in P’yongyang in 1906.

The development of modern education was disrupted during the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea (1910-1945). Although the number of public schools increased substantially during the colonial period, the education provided by these schools fell far short of the rising aspirations of Koreans. Educational opportunities were limited to a small number of Koreans. Elementary schools, for example, accommodated only 30 percent of all school-age children; only one out of 20 or so enrolled in secondary schools, and very few Koreans were able to attend college.

Korea’s School System

The school system in Korea follows a 6-3-3-4 ladder pattern which consists of elementary school (1st to 6th grades), middle school (7th to 9th grades), high school (10th to 12th grades) and junior college, college and university. Elementary school provides six years of compulsory elementary education to children between the ages of 6 and 11. Middle school offers three years of lower secondary education to those aged 12 to 14. High school offers three years of higher secondary education to students aged 15 to 17. High school graduates can choose to apply to a junior college or a college or university to receive higher education.

High schools are generally divided into two categories, general and vocational. Air & correspondence high schools are included in the former, while agricultural, commercial, fishery and technical high schools are included in the latter. There are a limited number of schools of the so-called “comprehensive” type which offer both general and vocational training. There are also science high schools and other speciality high schools, including foreign language high schools, art high schools and athletic schools.

Institutes of higher learning include two- or three-year junior vocational colleges and four-year colleges and universities. Both the universities of education and colleges of education offer four-year courses.

In addition to the general school ladder system, there are secondary level trade schools which provide highly specialized vocational training. Civic schools, originally intended to offer literacy courses, now provide elementary and secondary level education mostly for financially underprivileged students. With compulsory education requirements extending to the 6th grade, however, these schools have been gradually disappearing.

There are also special schools offering elementary and secondary education for the deaf, blind and other learning difficulty. Preschool education is provided by kindergartens.

Preschool Education in Korea

Preschool education is not included in the formal school system. However, its importance justifies attention in relation to the formal school system. Kindergarten is the main facility for preschool education in Korea.

As of 1997, there were 9,010 kindergartens enrolling 567,814 children. This accounts for 27.7 percent of preschool children in Korea with ages ranging from 3 to 5 years old. Because of the low enrollment figures, the Ministry of Education has recently instituted the policies in order to increase the availability of kindergarten education.

Kindergarten education aims at providing an appropriate environment for the nurturing and development of children through various pleasant activities and diverse methods of instruction. The curricula consist of five life areas: physical, social, expression, language and inquiry life areas.

Elementary Education in Korea

Although relevant legislation was enacted in 1948, elementary education for children was not made compulsory until 1953 because of the post-Korean War rehabilitation effort. The Constitution stipulates in Article 31 that it is the responsibility of all parents and guardians to ensure an elementary school education for their children aged 6 to 11 and that this education is free.

Elementary school enrollment showed a sharp increase from 1952, reaching a peak of more than 5 million in 1971. The increase in student enrollment during those years pushed some individual school enrollments as high as 10,000 or more, with more than 90 pupils crammed in one classroom in some schools. Many schools found it necessary to operate classes in two or even three daily shifts. As of 1997, there were 6,623 elementary schools including 902 branch schools throughout the country, with 3,783,986 pupils accommodated in 107,860 classes and staffed by 138,670 teachers. The majority of elementary school teachers are graduates of four-year colleges of education.

Article 93 of the Education Act states that the goal of elementary school education is to teach the fundamentals necessary for a productive civic life. In order to fulfill this objective, the basic curricula for elementary school education are divided into nine principal subjects: moral education, Korean language, social studies, arithmetic, natural science, physical education, music, fine arts and the practical arts. However, subject matters in grade 1 and 2 are integrated in “disciplined life,” “intelligent life” and “pleasant life.”

Secondary Education

Secondary education is divided into lower secondary (middle) school and higher secondary (high) school levels.

Korean Middle Schools

Upon completing elementary school, children between the ages of 12-14 are allowed to enter middle school for the 7th to 9th grade courses. The number of middle school students has shown an impressive rate of growth in recent decades. The percentage of elementary school graduates advancing to middle school increased from 58.4 percent in 1969 to 99.9 percent in 1997. As of 1997, there are 2,720 middle schools across Korea with a total enrollment of 2,180,296.

Since the abolition of the entrance examination in 1969, admission to middle school has been made through lottery assignments administered on a zone-by-zone basis. This measure was adopted with the aim of eradicating distinctions between so-called inferior and superior schools, so that all elementary school graduates could have equal access to all middle schools located in their respective school districts.

The middle school curricula are composed of 11 basic or required subjects, elective subjects and extra curricula activities. Technical and vocational courses are included in the elective subjects to ensure the productive relationship between education and occupation.

Korean High Schools

High school education aims at providing advanced general and specific education on the basis of middle school education. Middle school graduates or those with equivalent academic background may enter high schools. The period of study is three years and students bear the expenses of the education.

Admission into high school is based primarily upon the grades received on the high school entrance examination, but there has been some changes in the admission process since 1974, when the equalization policy for high school admission was put into practice.

According to the revision of the Education Act of May 31, 1995, there are various new ways of selecting students for admission, including the recent taking into account of the so-called “school activities records” where the three-year life of the middle school students is recorded. For example, in 1997, four metropolitan cities – Seoul, Pusan, Inch’on and Kwangju – selected students according to the school activities records alone. Taegu, Taejon, Kyonggi-do, Kangwon-do, Ch’ungch’nongnam-do, and Kyongsangnam-do areas took into account both school activities records and examination test scores. Ch’ungch’dongbuk-do, Kyongsangbuk-do and Cheju-do areas took into account only examination test scores when screening freshmen students for admission.

Through the introduction of these individualized standards for school admission, small-sized specialized high schools in areas such as music, the arts as well as math and science have been and will continue to be established. For those students returning home from abroad into domestic schools, international school will be also established. And after 1998, “private high schools” that can be sustained with finances from their own resources will be given the right to select students as well as to decide tuition payments.

Higher Education in Korea

There are four categories of institutions for higher learning: (1) colleges and universities with four-year undergraduate programs (six-year in medical colleges), (2) junior colleges, (3) universities of education and colleges of education, and (4) miscellaneous schools like theological colleges and seminaries.

About 80 percent of all Korean institutes of higher education are private. In accordance with the Education Act and the relevant presidential and ministerial decrees, all institutes of higher education, whether public or private, come under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Ministry has control over such matters as student quotas, qualifications of teaching staff, curricula, degree requirements, and so on.

Higher education aims at teaching and studying fundamental academic theories and their various application as necessary for the progress and enlightenment of society and the global community, with the aim of nurturing the nation’s future leaders.

The unit for measuring the completion of each course is a credit. Each university oversees the requirements for the completion of each credit, the minimum credits necessary for graduation, and the standard credits and maximum credits required to be taken each semester, the method to obtain special credit, and credits required for the completion of preparatory courses on the basis of school regulations.

The curricula are composed of general and professional courses and each is again divided into required and elective courses. Bachelor’s degrees are offered in 26 areas of study. There were only 19 institutions of higher education in the entire Korean Peninsula at the time of national liberation in 1945. In 1997, the number of these institutions in South Korea has increased to 950 with a total of 2,792,410 students and 69,157 faculty members.

Entrance Examinations in Korea

Colleges and universities in Korea operate under strict enrollment limits. Because of the difference in college admission quotas and the number of applicants, each school year produces a large number of repeat applicants who add to the intensity of competition for college admission. The number of repeat applicants has been declining in recent years due to the expansion of the number of students admitted per year and the increasing number of support systems for repeat students.

The college entrance examination system underwent a drastic reform in 1981. The main entrance examination was abolished and a new system was introduced that combined scholastic achievements in high school with the score obtained in the nationwide qualifying examination to determine the applicant’s eligibility for admission.

In an effort to broaden the autonomy of colleges and universities and to normalize high school examination-bound education, a new entrance examination was introduced in April 1991. In this new system, the students’ high school records accorded for 40 percent of the overall admissions decision. It also gave individual colleges the right to decide how to weigh the applicants’ college scholastic achievement test scores with those administered by the colleges themselves.

In almost all colleges and universities, applicants are also allowed to apply for special screening. Students from farming and fishing villages and handicapped students may be selected through this process. Although the dates for these exams are set by the Ministry of Education, each university can select specific dates at its convenience. Students are allowed to apply for as many universities as they choose only if they are offered exams on different dates.

Korean Junior Vocational Colleges

Junior vocational colleges are post-secondary programs and are the direct outgrowth of the increasing demand for technical manpower attendant to rapid industrialization. They are the product of a merger between 2-year junior colleges and 2-3 year professional high schools. Since this establishment in 1979, the number of junior vocational colleges has grown to 155 as of 1997 with an enrollment of about 500,000.

They are now playing a major role in the attainment of short-term higher education. The purpose of junior vocational education is to produce mid-level technicians who can devote themselves to a national development through the dissemination of technical knowledge in every field of society. Their specialized courses are grouped into technical, agricultural, fishery, nursing, sanitation, home economics, social practice, the arts and athletics, with two or three year programs depending on the course of introduction. The nursing, clinical pathology, radiation, fishing, navigation and engine courses require 3 years of education. The communication course requires two and a half years; the rest require two years of education.

For the effective achievement of its educational goals, junior vocational colleges develop and operate a practical curriculum through a school-industry collaborative. Speciality is stressed as preparation for the National Certification Examination. Liberal arts subjects consist of a minimum of general subjects; the number of credits required in the subjects is decided by school regulations. On-the-job training is given 1-3 credits.

Although junior vocational colleges put an emphasis on practical education aimed at producing mid-level technicians, it is not necessarily a terminal point of education. They also keep doors open for students who would like to continue their education at the university level. For employed youths, they also provides avenues for continued education. As efforts are being intensified to ensure the relevance of junior college education, the percentage of the employed among graduates is increasing.

College and Universities in Korea

College and university offer four or six-year courses, the latter including medical and dental colleges. College education aims to promote the proliferation of knowledge for the betterment of the nation and society as well as to prepare students for leadership roles. Colleges and universities have shown a great deal of quantitative and qualitative growth in the present decade. As of 1997, there are 150 colleges and universities attended by a total of 1,368,461 students.

A student who has completed 130-140 credit units or more is awarded a bachelor’s degree (except in medicine and dentistry). There are over 600 fields of study, including literature, theology, fine arts, music, law, political science, economics, business administration, commerce, physical science, home economics, physical education, engineering, medicine, dentistry, Korean medicine, public health and nursing, pharmacology, agricultural science, veterinary medicine, and fisheries. However, course selection varies according to the institution.

The college curricula consist of required courses and electives. One course credit is given to a lecture/class course meeting one hour per week for more than 15 weeks. International students and foreign students of Korean origin are welcome and may be admitted at any level and at any school. All those who have a high school diploma or its equivalent are eligible for admission to the undergraduate program.

Korean Graduate Schools

The Education Act stipulates that a university must have one or more graduate schools offering research-oriented courses for graduate students who aspire to pursue academic or professional careers. As of 1997, there were 116 general graduate schools attached to general universities and 476 professional graduate schools, including six graduate schools established at open-admission universities. As of 1997, the total enrollment in graduate courses provided by universities across Korea was 151,358, including 128,097 the master’s degree level students.

In general, the minimum requirement for a master’s degree is 24 credits, normally achieved in four semesters by day students and five semesters by night students. The minimum requirement for a doctorate is 60 credits including 24 credits for gaining a master’s degree, which usually takes three years to earn. Those who complete the required credits and who pass two foreign language examinations as well as a comprehensive examination for doctoral degree are entitled to write dissertations.


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Anglų kalba kaime „Korėja“

17Apr08

Kuo daugiau išmokstu apie Korėją, tuo daugiau dalykų mane nervina ir man patinka. Vakar į galvą atėjo toks palyginimas.

Jei mūsų Žemė būtų vienas didelis dangoraižis, kuriame didelės valstybės užimtų po keletą ar kelioliką aukštų, o mažesnės po kelis butus ar tik kambarius, tai Pietų Korėja tilptų turbūt viename kambaryje. Į vieną kambarį tilptų ir Lietuva, tačiau pas mus daug mažiau žmonių :) Taigi, tame Korėjos kambaryje yra gerokai per daug žmonių. Visko kambaryje daug, bet labai kompaktiškai ir patogiai išdėliota. Kiekvienas galėtų rasti sau miniatiūrinį grindų plotelį, kuriame galėtų susikurti savo pasaulėlį. Dauguma tokių pasaulėlių būtų minkšti ir rožiniai. Kilimai taip pat rožiniai (geltoni, ar žydri – priklauso nuo skonio), minkšti ir pūkuoti.

Iš tokio kambario nelabai norisi išeiti. Galima į Australiją ar JAV, bet nelabai aišku, ar kitose šalyse yra kas nors geresnio nei Korėjoje. Šio mažyčio rojaus gyventojai turi viską – aukštąsias technologijas, geriausius automobilius, mob. telefonus, savo K-pop muziką (visos dainos pagal vieną šabloną ;)), net savo uždarus el. formatus, kurie visiems tinka.

Kai viskas po ranka ir labai patogu, nelabai ir tereikia taikytis prie kitų šalių, tarptautinių standartų ir pan. O kai nereikia, tai ir nesitaiko.

Bet pasaulinis pastatas visgi bendras visiems, su bendru vandentiekiu, dujotiekiu, elektra ir t.t. Prireikė korėjiečiams pagaliau išmokti anglų kalbą. Tiesą sakant, visas šitas dangoraižio palyginimas man atėjo į galvą tada, kai bandžiau suprasti, kodėl korėjiečiams taip sunkiai sekasi išmokti anglų kalbą. Kai tai jiems prikišama, jie ginasi, jog puikiai išmoksta japonų kalbos (kurios gramatika beveik tokia pati kaip korėjiečių kalbos, tik lengvesnė ir kurios žodyno didelė dalis sutampa). Taigi, mano manymu dvi priežastys, kodėl jiems taip sunkiai sekasi su anglų kalba, tai:

1. kalbos ir tarimo skirtumai. Korėjiečiai savo anglų kalbą vadina „konglish“ ;) Kartais turiu paklausti, kokia kalba žmogus bando kalbėti, kad suprasčiau kokia kalba klausytis ;)

2. būtent tas mažas rožinis kambarėlis, kuriame nieko netrūksta ir jo gyventojams gali pasirodyti keista mintis, jog jie turi mokytis kitos kalbos, kad galėtų bendrauti su pasauliu. Daug mažiau keista būtų, jei visas pasaulis išmoktų korėjiečių kalbą… :D

Tiesą sakant, visi turbūt norėtų gyventi tokiame kambarėlyje, bent jau savo vaikams norėtų tokios saugios aplinkos. Bet kadangi mes gyvename ne taip ir kadangi esame linkę niekinti tuos, kurie geresni už mus, tai ir mane tokia situacija kartais tikrai nervina. Iš kitos pusės, korėjiečiai linkę perimti dalykus, kurie jiems patinka. Šioje situacijoje korėjiečiai pasielgė kaip tikri mažo kambarėlio gyventojai (kaimiečiai ;)). Vyriausybė ėmėsi tėvų vaidmens ir nusprendė išmokyti savo tautą anglų kalbos. Išleidžiamos milžiniškos lėšos, bet kol kas didelio progreso nesimato. Gal šiek tiek vėliau, kai lėšos baigsis ir vyriausybė pradės kreipti dėmesį į mokymo kokybę, pamatysime geresnius rezultatus. Dabar yra taip, kad mokytojai priimami ne pagal anglų kalbos žinias, o pagal europietišką veidą :) Lietuviai, atvažiuokite užsidirbti! :))

Tai kol kas tiek to supratimo… Panašu, kad kultūrinis šokas, apie kurį kalbama, jog ateina po 2 mėnesių, visgi artinasi… :D Liko 12 dienų.


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Sakuros

11Apr08

Šiandien pas mus sninga… vyšnių žiedlapiais.

Me and ChongYe


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