fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
19th Jan 2012

A new approach to education in South Korea

Despite international accolades for its education system, South Korea is moving away from the hallmarks of this system—such as memorisation, a reliance on private schools, and studying only to best compete for spots in prestigious universities. The South Korean government is in the midst of implementing reforms aimed at fostering creativity in learning as much as skills acquisition. In Education Week, Byong-man Ahn, the vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on Education, Science, and Technology in South Korea (and former minister of education, science, and technology) notes that the reforms attempt to redress the problem of the learning model emphasising “[not] self-development based on personal interest or motivation, but in entrance into a highly ranked university.” He says that under the traditional education system, “students have no time to ponder the fundamental question of ‘What do I need to learn, and why?’" Mr. Ahn says the reforms emphasise:

  • Creativity over rote learning
  • Diversity over uniformity
  • Self-determined education over other-determined education

For details on the specific changes underway in South Korea, please check out Mr Ahn’s full commentary in Education Week. Source: Education Week

Most Recent

  • US warns of expanded travel ban that could affect key African markets Read More
  • Breaking: US resumes student visa processing Read More
  • Is Canada valued more as a “pathway to immigration” or as a destination for education? Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

US warns of expanded travel ban that could affect key African markets “The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of an additional 36 countries in what would be...
Read more
Breaking: US resumes student visa processing On 18 June, the US State Department sent a cable to all US diplomatic posts abroad instructing them...
Read more
Is Canada valued more as a “pathway to immigration” or as a destination for education? During a 12 June 2025 webinar presented by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and IDP, IDP...
Read more
Japanese outbound numbers reached 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024 An annual survey of Japanese education agents finds that outbound student numbers from this key sending market are...
Read more
UK: Study visa applications up by nearly a third year to date The early data we are seeing so far this year makes a couple of things clear. First, there...
Read more
Real-time insights on shifting international student interest in the US ICEF and NAFSA co-hosted a featured webinar on 11 June, and the session showcased some important data reflecting...
Read more
What are the latest developments for international students in the United States? An update like this needs a time stamp as the events reported are unfolding quickly. It was first...
Read more
ICEF Podcast: Live from NAFSA 2025 Listen in as ICEF’s Craig Riggs and Martijn van de Veen recap a busy week at the annual...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links