Before I moved to Korea, I had an idea of what Korean students might be like.  With a stellar reputation for acing the dreaded SAT test, a test used by American universities to determine university admittance, Korean immigrants and Korean-Americans set the bar high for academic excellence.  The driving force behind these successful students seems to be dedicated parents closely followed by determination to excel, so I expected a classroom full of obedient students thirsty for information upon my move to Korea. 

My experience teaching in the United States is limited to student teaching so I proceed with my description of the American education system from a student’s perspective.  When I was young, teachers told me I needed to be more creative and find a way to be different in class.  Students are expected to create fresh and innovative ideas from a very young age, so by the time we reach middle school and high school we naturally find a way to be different.  Our attempts at being different extend to our personal dress, the way we behave and the things we like.  We spend a lot of time thinking about how we can better ourselves and how to become unique, focusing a lot on individual needs and wants.  We attempt to create practical applications for what we learn in school; attempting to internalize the information we learn and use it for more than our upcoming test.  

Americans are encouraged to challenge authority.  This is not to be disrespectful, but it is to propose new and better ways of doing things.  Students are encouraged to ask their teachers questions if they want additional information or if they do not fully understand the topic presented in class, and this behavior does not threaten American teachers.  In a work situation, employees are often encouraged to collaborate with their bosses to create the best possible business action plans.  The acceptance of challenging the status quo is why the United States has seen so much change and transformation over the years for both the better and the worse.  Of course, this freedom to be creative and challenge authority has generated a very diverse American population and has fed an increasing populace of individuals that disrespect authority in all shapes and form.

Korea’s education system creates a different kind of student.  My experience in Korea thus far has informed me of the importance of the group.  Groups are stronger when they have more characteristics in common, and this has led South Koreans to have a very strong but homogeneous group identity.  It is important to blend in and do what is considered acceptable according to the group.  Straying from the norm risks shaming families, so young Korean students do the same things: study for countless hours and play StarCraft, the violin or the piano.  Creativity is not nurtured in Korea like it is in the United States, and my Korean students have struggled during the times I have assigned creative activities and assignments. 

South Korean students have very little hope of having a successful career if they do not achieve perfect grades.  Perfect grades grant entrance into top ranking universities, and degrees from these prestigious universities guarantee prominent careers.  Students become fixated with their futures and pleasing their parents from a very young age, placing a substantial amount of pressure to study and obsess about grades.  Students memorize vast amounts of information for the sole purpose of preparing for rigorous tests that determine their future, and there is rarely a practical application for said information.  I think even a fraction of this pressure would be enough to drive any American student over the edge, but it is simply something American kids do not worry about as much because they know they can have a fruitful life with less than perfect scores.

As a westerner working in Korea, this has been a very enlightening experience.  I have a newfound respect for Korean students because they have such a challenging life, but I’ve also seen how such a system can unify people.  Unification is lacking in the “United States” at the moment, and it’s refreshing to see people that have a distinguished system that makes their country, their economy and their people thrive.