What is different between Korean school and that of international?

How’s your school life?
What is different between Korean school and that of international?

“How’s your school life at international school?” was one of the most common questions I’ve got since I came to oversees, China. In responding to them, I noticed that a number of students are quite interested to know international schools of which friends from various countries and foreign teachers consist. And I thought it would be good to introduce regarding how it is different between international schools and Korean schools to global students not only Koreans.

 

According to the data collected from Korean students who, at present, attend international schools, I will introduce the top 3 respectively. The question was ‘what is the most impressive part you have gotten while attending international school?’ 79 students responded in total and diagram below represents the result visually.

Best1. Meals

 

▲School lunch가나다라마바사아자차카타파하아야어여오요우유▲students often bring their own lunch box

 

Meals at international schools are often a bit more costly than those of Korean schools. But students can enjoy variety of dishes such as Korean, Italian. Also it is like a course at a restaurant in that there’s salad bar like appetizer, main dish and dessert. Drinks and fruits are also prepared. More often than not, the country where the schools are located has an effect on the meals.
For an instance, the school in which I went was in Tianjin, China and rice was served in every time.  
But it is absolutely free and common to bring personal food for lunch such as cup noodles, sandwiches.
Quite a lot of Asian students bring their own meals made at home.

Forks and knives which are equipped in the cafeteria represent widespread use of western style.
 

Generally the atmosphere is more flexible than that of Korea, which I felt too. Although Koreans usually go to cafeteria along class lines, people in international schools act personally. Those of who have activities have lunch late, some who have not finished their homework skip their meals.

 

Best2. The number of students

 

▲There are not many chairs in class

To tell you the truth, I was quite astonished to know that in each class the number of pupils is less than 20.
In contrary to 30 to 40 students in one class in Korea, international schools distribute their students in small groups. Moreover, each subject class has far less pupils even less than 10.

It is due in part to the curriculum in which students, as they get old, they can choose which subject they will take.

 

I consider this curriculum is considerably effective not only for students but also for teachers since teachers can give more attention to one by one which in turn is able to enhance every student’s learning ability. So I asked this topic to a teacher who is working at international school as a teacher of Korean.

Mrs. Kim Sunhee at Tianjin Rego Internatiaonl School.

 

How many years have you worked at Korean school and that of international?

Mrs. Kim: I had worked at Korean middle school roughly for 7 years and it has been 2 years working in Tianjin, China.

 

When we compare the number of students, international schools are inclined to have far less pupils. Also this school tends to be like. How do you think about this matter?

Kim: if I take this school as an example, the proportion of students per teacher responsible for them is 1:7~12 which makes a big gap with Korean school’s 1:35~40.

 

What advantages and disadvantages does it have?

Kim: for teachers, they can understand each student’s disposition in a better way so they are able to teach students depending on their characters. Not to mention, instructors give much more attention to individual and it makes them feel satisfied. Also in response to teachers’ affection, students try to concentrate their focus in class. As there are few people, students can get more various and free classes such as having a heated discussion with teacher, utilizing media in a creative way.

In my view, there’s not much disadvantage to mention.

 

Best3. Teaching style/ atmosphere in class

It seems that this point has somewhat overlapped with the previous one. Since there are far less students in a class, creative, active classes are possible in some part I think. However, having not so many people would be a pivotal part of international schools’ curriculum rather. As they realize the number of students in a class has much effect on the ambience within a class, they may have adopted this condition.

When it comes to education condition, international school students are able to get much free. After becoming Year 10 (or year 9 in American one), pupils acquire a kind of qualification of choosing which subjects they want to take. According to their own time table, they go around for a specific classroom or have free class for personal study. By doing so, students feel a sort of responsibility with their behavior.
 

As a mentioned a bit previously, classes are organized in a very free manner. They can have a sincere discussion regarding a specific topic with teachers, make a world map in geography class which for me was a very surprising matter as in Korea this kind of thing is rarely done by secondary or make a drama. Breaking away from only textbook study, learning in international school is more serious as well as interesting. Therefore, students from their youth are able to get deep knowledge in their specific area which is going to be their major in university.

From my own experience, this teaching style broadened my somewhat parochial thinking and helped me to develop self-thinking ability. And I am sure that those changes will be pretty beneficial in my life.

One more thing, maybe you have already known is that speaking English in school. Not to mention, people can increase their English in a glad way.

  ▲Sports facilities

 

Apart from those things, students surveyed said quality facilities are impressive such as sports instruments and swimming pools and that assembly which is held once or twice a week is organized by students themselves is interesting. Moreover, there are various parties held on Special day like Christmas party, graduation party.

It’s true that international school holds various kinds of activities when it comes to comparing with that of Korean. But when I meditated this matter, I could reach a point that the ‘difference’ is because each school has ‘different’ educational direction. While international school tends to set school programs in regard to getting jobs, Korean, in fact including Asian schools, focuses on entering universities which would be handed the baton and seriously prepare students to get jobs. It means Korean schools have roles of preparing the ground for students’ future.
Therefore, with this article, I don’t mean just unfairly to advocate international school programs.

This story’s purpose is to introduce how Korean students have felt between Korean school and that of international.

 

Individual has its own merits. Korean school has its own merits as well as that of oversees.
I hope schools all around the globe would share their positive ways of teaching students or organizing schools in pure wishing to provide better education to our hopes.

 

 

                                                                                                                              <Photos by Jang YunKyung>