South Korea has been recognized globally for its academic excellence, validated by teachers, professors, tutors, and students, ranking 9th overall worldwide. Although students excel in their studies, their mental health has been pushed to extremes, leaving them on the brink of significant fatigue and exhaustion. Parents urge their children to strive for improvement in their examinations, but these young people cannot take much more. An increasing number of young people in South Korea today face anxiety and record levels of depression, driven by the pressure to succeed in their academic pursuits. This article will investigate South Korea’s education system and the reasons behind the pressures facing the youth in the 21st century.
For South Korea, the intense pressure to succeed in education—often called 'education fever' —isn’t a new trend. It has deep roots in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and its infamous Gwageo civil service examination system (과거시험)”.
How did this all begin for students in South Korea?
The Joseon dynasty began in the late 1300s. This stressful and emotionally draining pressure emerged centuries ago, and still, centuries later, the students are led down paths of extremely draining anxiety, panic attacks, and cases of depression. The Joseon dynasty is still very apparent as of today, as it helped to shape the modern South Korean culture that we see it as right now, while also putting an even greater emphasis on academics, with the Civil Service exams that students must complete. With 25.2 percent of middle and high school students aged between 13 and 18 experience depression and anxiety, the situation itself has become more alarming than ever. Seeing this as a statistic is nothing short of concerning and should be even more worrying for parents and education staff based in South Korea. Through the forceful behaviours of their parents, siblings, teachers, and professors, the education system in South Korea has led students to cram in tons of information, enduring hours and hours of practice and tutoring without receiving more fun and healthier encouragement from education.
A day in the life of a student living in South Korea
Many students, including a first-year middle school student, Choi Jeong-Yun, face a day full of waking up, eating, working, tutoring, going home, studying, and sleeping. This almost puts students in a constant cycle of repeating arduous tasks, time and time again, mentally and physically draining students completely. Even though adults in Ireland and the UK enjoy pleasurable bank holidays and shorter working hours, unfortunately, this reality is not always the case for young people and academic students in South Korean education academies. According to an article that was carried out on cram schools and outside of hours tutoring, research revealed that 77% of 15-year-old South Korean students participate in out-of-school hours tutoring. These classes would involve mathematics tutoring, reading, English, Science, Social Studies, etc. This leads to extreme pressures on students, facing days of no rest, no breaks, and no chance to socialise or catch up with friends. If the South Korean government were to implement more flexible hours for students and cut down school and tutoring to maybe five days a week ( to mirror Monday-Friday working days), then this could help students to potentially perform, and be able to live life like normal kids, and teenagers, rather than feeling stuck in a rat race for the next big grade or test score.
What if South Korea's education system were not defined by placing pressure on students?
Diversifying extra-curricular activities beyond academic success could substantially decrease students' mental health problems in future years, effectively helping students and their positive well-being. In this case, not placing pressure on students can help them to reach their full potential, in life beyond academics and studying material. Students would not feel as much stress to cover dense material, parents would feel much more happiness and at ease, and their kids would be happier heading into the classroom. If this were the case, it is more likely that the students would not feel as much pressure to succeed and earn a place in the world’s top colleges. This could lead to greater potential for students, so that they could find new interests, or even be able to go back to old hobbies and pursue lifelong happiness in circumstances away from the world of academics.
By training new staff, or providing brand new training for previous staff and tutors, with a re-evaluation of the curriculum itself, not only will the students and their families benefit, the teachers will also be better equipped to help these children maximise their academic potential.
South Korea has always been known for its highly competitive system, with even higher academic standards and excellence in the classroom. It has, however, led to immediate effects in a young person's life, with curricula, class tests, study, homework, class preparation, and more, with students' mental and physical health being compromised. The government should come together to review these matters and prioritise the amendments that should be made to help young people enjoy their lifestyle, rather than waking up every, with stress, pressures, work, and complete mental strains on their wellbeing. This being made to work is what is needed for students to be happier and to be able to create a more efficient and balanced life.
