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