Republic of Korea

World Data on Education.
6th edition, 2006/07
Republic of Korea
Revised version, October 2006.
Principles and general objectives of education

The objectives of education, under the ideals of Hongik-Ingan, the founding
philosopher of Korea, are to help all people perfect their individual characters,
develop the self-sustaining ability to attain independent lives, acquire the
qualifications of democratic citizens, participate in the makings of a democratic state,
and promote the prosperity of all humankind. Based on these ideals, the curriculum
will aim to foster the following model of a well-educated citizen:
• A person who seeks to develop his or her own individuality through a well-
rounded and wholesome character development.
• A person who demonstrates creativity with a solid foundation in basic

knowledge and skills.
• A person who explores his or her career opportunities based on an extensive

intellectual knowledge and skills in diverse academic fields.
• A person whose values are firmly grounded on a sound understanding of the

national culture.
• A person, with the help of a well-established, participatory democracy, who

contributes to the development of the community he or she resides in.
Current educational priorities and concerns

With scarce natural resources, the Republic of Korea has relied heavily on human
resources to develop its economy. Education being a major source for trained
manpower, educational policies have changed in accordance with the types of human
resources demanded by a changing economy.
In the 1950s, when low-level skilled workers were needed in labour-intensive

industries, efforts were geared to undertaking a massive-scale literacy campaign to
produce a manual workforce. In the 1960s, skilled workers were in great demand for
light industries, and the focus was shifted to expanding vocational education at the
secondary school level. As the importance of heavy industries grew in the 1970s,
technicians who could deal with complex modern manufacturing processes were in
demand. The government responded by expanding junior technical colleges. The
number of junior colleges nearly doubled in this period. In the 1980s, economic
competitiveness based on high-level technology and information industries became
fierce and this challenge incited the Korean government to strengthen research and
education in basic science and technology. Korea expanded and universalized
elementary education followed by secondary education, and only after achieving this,
Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

World Data on Education. 6th edition, 2006/07
shifted its emphasis to the expansion of higher education. This sequence of policies
fits well into the economic development plan.
The firm belief that the rise and fall of a nation depends on the success or
failure in producing an educated people continued to drive concerned authorities in
the 1980s. When the Fifth Republic came into existence, educational reform became
part of a broad system of efforts to build an institutional basis for reforms. The
Presidential Commission for Education Reform was established in 1985 and was in
place until 1987 preparing a national plan for educational reform. In the Sixth
Republic (1987-1992), the Commission was renamed the Presidential Advisory
Committee on Education Policy. In Kim Young Sam’s civil government, the name
changed again to the Presidential Commission on Education Reform (PCER). Reform
proposals announced by these reform institutions have met with varying degrees of
success in implementation. The most recognized and substantial changes were
brought about by the current PCER, and the changes are best characterized by their
accordance with the overall social and political atmosphere of the country, which is
directed towards democracy, autonomy, openness, globalization, information and
technology.
Some of the foundation work to build a democratic scheme of education was

laid in the early 1990s. New laws for the promotion of local autonomy were legislated
in 1991, and district offices and boards of education were inaugurated at the
municipal and provincial level, setting a new benchmark in the democratization and
localization of education. All these efforts for democratization, autonomy, localization
and globalization, which are the foundation values and perspectives that govern every
sphere of the life of contemporary Koreans, were consummated in the recent
educational reform proposals announced by the PCER. A laissez-faire approach to the
management of academic affairs in the universities and the establishment of school-
based educational management are some of the measures reflecting the current social
and political mood.
The government undertook a major education reform through the Presidential

Commission on Education Reform (PCER) established in 1992. The reform was
directed to restructuring the existing educational system into a new one, in which
people are ensured access to education without constraints of space and time on a
lifelong basis. The profile of the person to be produced through this new education
system includes such characteristics as co-operation (i.e. a person should develop
harmonious relationships with people and the environment), intelligence (i.e. a person
should be creative and able to utilize knowledge about information and technology),
open-mindedness (i.e. a person should be receptive and sensitive to people with
different cultural and ethnic backgrounds), industriousness and diligence (i.e. a person
should be able to produce reliable results from their efforts).
In an anticipation of the coming of the knowledge-based society in the twenty-

first century, which would present completely new challenges unseen in the present
civilization, the government has pushed forward educational reform during the past
ten years with an unprecedented vigor. It has been increasingly recognized that
knowledge and information among all the resources possessed by humankind are the
crucial ones that will determine future survival and prosperity of each country. In
order to change the existing paradigm of education system from something that had

been suitable for the mass manufacturing system and the labor-intensive industrial
structure of the past to the one that meets the requirement of the future society, overall
restructuring in the entire educational sphere has been carried out. The ‘open
education society’ and the ‘lifelong learning society’ have been sought to enable
everyone to receive education he/she wants, anywhere, anytime.
The goal of the reform is to construct a flexible education system that enables
every learner to exercise fully one’s ability and creativity and to receive education that
is suitable for one’s life plan and moment in life. Since such a goal cannot be attained
by reforming a single phase of schooling, an all-encompassing reform has been
attempted, so that all steps and areas of education (e.g., early childhood education,
elementary and secondary education, higher education, and vocational and technical
education, etc.) have been coordinated to fit the overall scheme in a balanced way.
The main characteristics of the educational reform are as follows:
• Shift from the supplier-centered education to the learner-centered one.

Educational choice of students and parents will be extended and guaranteed to
the fullest limit in terms of educational contents and methods and school
models, which include diversification of educational programs and schools,
specialization, and college entrance examination that addresses diverse
individual aptitude and ability.
• Diversification of education. Uniform and hierarchical education will be

avoided and education that develops individual student’s potential, creativity,
aptitude, talent, and character will be sought.
• Shift away from educational management centered on regulation and control

toward school management emphasizing school-centered autonomy and
accountability.
• Expanded educational equity. Every citizen should be allowed to develop

one’s ability fully and educational opportunity for the underprivileged
population will be expanded.
• Open education that enables educational informationization and introduces

cutting-edge technology will be implemented in preparation for globalization
and informationization.
• Improvement of educational quality will be pursued through building an

administrative and financial support system based upon upright and objective
evaluation.
The new vision is to enable citizens, industries, and the state to enjoy the
“benevolent cycle of growth and integration” through the overall reform for national
human resources development. Every citizen, with positive attitude, should endeavor
to create human resources and will be guaranteed to have the opportunity to raise
one’s ability and apply it to life irrespective of one’s sex, age, school background, and
physical condition. All private corporations should endeavor to make good use of
human resources and will be guaranteed to have opportunities to secure high quality
labor force. The state will secure the capacity to be a leader in the world history in

spiritual as well as material terms by securing abundant pool of high quality human
resource.
Laws and other basic regulations concerning education

The Constitution is the basic source of all educational laws and regulations. The
articles related to education state that:
• Every citizen has a right to receive an education according to his/her level of

ability.
• Elementary education is compulsory for all children.
• Elementary compulsory education should be free.
• Self-determination, professionalism, political neutrality and autonomy of

universities and colleges must be secured by law.
• Matters related to school and non-formal education, education finance and

teachers must be stipulated by law.
A drastic change was made in the basic structure of education-related laws

during the late twentieth century. The Education Law of 1949, which had been
comprehensive in its nature, was divided in 1998 into the Fundamental Law of
Education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Law (which has undergone 38
partial revisions since 1949), and the Higher Education Law, thereby further
specializing the legal structure pertaining to each school level.
This Fundamental Law of Education defines the basic elements in education

such as the goal and ideology of education, persons in charge of education provision,
and promotion of education. It also specifically puts forward the basic structure for a
lifelong education system and fully guarantees the educational rights of all citizens.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Law enables diverse forms of education
from kindergarten to upper secondary school level. For instance, legal provisions were
made for the right to select secondary school, expansion of specialized high schools,
comprehensive management of elementary and secondary schools, and flexible
application of school entrance age. And the regulations pertaining to the School
Council, which had belonged to the Law of Local Governance of Education, were
transferred to this Law in further specification. Under the Higher Education Law
regulations for seeking autonomy, diversity, and specialization at the higher education
level and for enhancing accountability of higher education institutions were
extensively strengthened. This law concerns all education provision after secondary
education such as junior colleges, technical colleges, and four-year colleges.
In order to strengthen lifelong education that will guide the knowledge-based

society of the twenty-first century and to pursue the nation’s human resources
development in increased effectiveness, the Social Education Law was reformulated
into the Lifelong Education Law in 1999, and the Law for Promotion of
Vocational Education and Training and the Basic Qualification Law were enacted.

In order to facilitate identifying gifted children who will play a vital role in national
development, the Law for Promoting Education of the Gifted was promulgated in
2000. The Fundamental Law of Human Resource Development was enacted on
August 2002 and is designed to elevate the quality of life and strengthen national
competitiveness. It prescribes the formulation, the general management, and the
regulation of policies on human resources development to ensure its effective
promotion
With the introduction of local governance in general administration, the realm

of education also showed efforts to meet the coming age of local autonomy and to
maximize educational development in the provinces. Core of those efforts was the
historic promulgation of the Law for Local Educational Governance, which has
opened up the era of full-scale local autonomy in educational governance. In the
massive revision of the Law undertaken later, new reform measures were inserted.
Several declarations concerning education include: the Charter for National

Education, the Charter for Children, the Charter for Teachers, and the Code of Ethics
for Teachers.
The Charter for National Education was announced in 1968. It is mainly

concerned with the duties and responsibilities every student receiving education must
carry out for the country.
The Children’s Charter was announced in May 1957 to recognize the

importance of caring for children. It recognizes that children, as valuable young
members of a society, deserve care, so that they may grow healthy and sound,
physically and psychologically. They should be provided with an environment and
facilities for study and play, be exempted from exploitation and be fed, treated,
assisted, reformed, and cared for to grow as sound human beings. They should grow
to develop a love for nature, the arts, and science and good citizenship.
The Charter of Teachers was prepared by the Korean Federation of

Education Associations to recognize the significant mission of teachers in improving
the quality of education. It recognizes that teachers are the key determining agency
who directs the education of the country. It urges teachers to take pride in their
profession and to be conscious of their roles and responsibilities in guiding young
minds. The Charter emphasizes that tender, loving care and respect for individual
children is the teachers’ primary role. Continuous efforts to improve teachers’
professionalism and their presentation as role models in the society are also
emphasized. Teachers are viewed as responsible for developing and implementing
innovative educational programmes.
The Code of Ethics for Teachers was proposed to establish an ethical code of
teachers’ conduct. It prescribes ethical codes concerning the relationship between
teachers and students, qualifications and responsibilities of teachers, teachers and their
professional organizations and the relationship between teachers and society.
Private education in Korea is supported and regulated by the Private School

Act, which was adopted in 1963 in order to facilitate the development of private
schools by means of guaranteeing their autonomy and social responsibility.

Administration and management of the education system

The organizations responsible for educational administration in Korea comprise three
layers of administrative authority: the Ministry of Education at the national level,
Offices of Education at the municipal and provincial level, and District Offices of
Education at the county level.
The Ministry of Education was restructured in 2001, its name was changed
into the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development) and the status
of the Minister of Education was upgraded to that of the Deputy Prime Minister. The
Ministry is the central authority of education administration. It makes policies with
regard to education at the national level, and assimilates and adjusts them in co-
operation with other Ministries. It is also responsible for implementing educational
policies, and guiding regional educational bodies.
The reorganized Ministry of Education consists of two offices (School Policy

Office; Planning and Management Office), four bureaus and 33 divisions. In addition,
there are the International Cooperation and Information Technology Office and
Inspector General’s Office. In March 2004, the Ministry has been restructured and the
Human Resources Policy Bureau, the Continuing Vocational Education Bureau, and
the University Support Bureau have been reorganized into the Human Resources
Planning Bureau, the Human Resources Development Bureau, and the Human
Resources Management Bureau respectively. Features of the restructuring include
merging the responsibilities regarding higher education policies under a single bureau
with an all-inclusive policy for universities, open universities, and junior colleges.
Policies related to supply and demand for human resources, academic research
assistance, industry-academia collaboration, and vocational education will all be
linked in order to ensure efficient implementation and development.
The Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) was

established in 1999. Its main functions include: to provide educational service via
EDUNET based on cutting-edge information communications technology (ICT); to
promote full utilization of education and research information by setting up and
operating an extensive system; and to provide a high-tech system for cyber- and life-
long educational service. The Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation
(KICE) was established in January 1998 as a government-funded educational research
institution. KICE’s missions are to improve school education through comprehensive
and systematic research and development of school curriculum, textbooks,
instructional materials and educational evaluations, and to provide schools with
practical and exemplary programs and services for quality education. The Korea
Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training was established in
1997. Its functions are to research on technical and vocational education and training
(TVET) and human resources development, and support government policies to
develop the vocational capacity of citizens through TVET as part of lifelong learning.
A Local Office of Education, the core unit of the autonomous educational

administration system, has been established in each municipality and province to
guarantee independence and individuality in regional education. Since 1997, sixteen
municipal or provincial and 195 county offices of education have been established
and are in operation.

To implement local educational autonomy, each municipal or provincial office

of education has a superintendent as an executive body and a board of education as a
decision-making body which makes major decisions on important education matters.
A superintendent is elected to serve a four-year term by the board members. The
superintendent is in charge of making rules and regulations regarding education,
budget planning, producing account reports, managing the school curriculum, school
facilities and equipment, and financing related commissions, etc.
As a decision-making body, each board of education decides important

educational matters, which then must be approved by the local councils. The total
number of members of the board of education in the metropolitan areas is decided by
the number of their autonomous districts, with a minimum number of seven. In the
provinces, the number of board members is the same as that of its counties’ offices of
education.
From the beginning of 1996, a School Council has operated in every national
or public primary and secondary school to guarantee the autonomy of the school’s
management, and to maximize community participation in it. Each committee is
composed of seven to fifteen members, of which 40-50% are parents, 30-40% school
staff including the principal, and 10-30% community members. Representatives of
parents and teachers are recommended for selection by direct election in their groups.
Community representatives are recommended by the principal and representatives of
the parents and teachers. The term of a representative is one year, and can be renewed
three times.
The School Council deliberates on school management matters such as the

school budget, improvement of the curriculum, the management of extra-curricular
activities, co-operative activities between school and community, student welfare, etc.
The council also advises the school principal on matters related to everyday school
operation.
As a Presidential consultative body, the Presidential Commission on

Education and Human Resource Policy was established according to the Presidential
Decree No. 16977 of September 2000. The Commission had the mission of providing
advice and suggestions as the President requires on matters pertaining to education
and human resource development to bring up talented people who can cater to the
knowledge and information society in the twenty-first century. It also provided
visions on education and human resource policies by developing, reviewing and
evaluating them in cooperation with experts from each sector of the society. The
Presidential Commission on Education Innovation was created by Presidential
Order No.18001 of June 2003. Its main function is to advise the President on setting
the direction for policies on education and human resource development, developing
major education policies, promoting innovation within the education system,
managing educational finance and welfare, and reviewing issues of educational
innovation. The Advisory Council for Education and Human Resources
Development Policy was inaugurated in March 2001 to examine the education and
human resources development policies of the government and important matters
concerning educational development. The Council, which has inherited the role of its
predecessor—the Advisory Council for Educational Policy—, assists the Minister of
Education with advice and suggestions on educational matters.

Besides the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance and Economy

(MOFE), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and the Ministry of
Labor (MOL) are all involved in formulating and implementing policies related to
human resource development, manpower development, and vocational and technical
education and training. The MOFE designs comprehensive plans for economic and
social development, and carries out training programmes for manpower development.
The MOST establishes and enforces policies related to scientific and technical
development and manages various research institutions. The MOL formulates and
implements policies related to the demand and supply of labour. The Korean
Manpower Agency, a subsidiary training centre of MOL, provides the public with
different levels of vocational and technical training.
As a non-governmental organization, the Korean Council for University

Education (KCUE), established in 1982, is an important body for enhancing
autonomy and accountability in the management of higher education. The KUCE
consists of members from all four-year universities nationwide. It is concerned with
issues such as professional research in the management of universities and the
university admission system, formulation of policies to provide financial aid to
universities, development and dissemination of curricula and teaching methods, and
conducting institutional and programme evaluation. The Korean Council for College
Education (KCCE) aims at enhancing autonomy and solidarity of colleges and
promoting their sound development through inter-institutional cooperation in
management and research, as well as making policy recommendations to the
government.
At the secondary level, the Korean Association of Private Secondary School

Principals has represented private school education. The function of the Association
is to muster the resources of individual members, recommend policy measures to the
Ministry of Education and to the Board of Education, and conduct research on the
development of private school education, etc.
Recently, many NGOs, such as parental associations and voluntary citizen

groups, have emerged to monitor the educational policy implementation process.
Some members of these NGOs also participate in the process of educational policy
making.
Structure and organization of the education system

The current education system in the Republic of Korea was established according to
the Education Law enacted in 1949. The school system is a linear one, consisting of
six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, three years of high
school and four years of college or university. Though kindergarten education is not a
part of the system, there is a growing demand to include it in the formal education
system.

Republic of Korea: structure of the education system
Pre-school education
Kindergartens offer diverse programmes to children aged 3-5, and the curriculum
covers physical, social, expressive, linguistic and inquiry activities. Standard
instructional time is three hours per day, but in reality kindergartens tend to offer
classes for four or more hours everyday, 180 days per year. Although early childhood
education has shown a noticeable growth since the 1980s, the enrolment rate is still
low (45% of 5-year-olds in 1997). Many kindergarten-aged children are attending
various private institutions or day-care centres that are under the control of the
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Primary education
Elementary education is free and compulsory. At the age of 6, children are informed
by the residence authority that they should apply for schooling. In contrast to the low

enrolment rate when the nation was founded, the current rate is almost 100%. Once
children enter elementary school, they automatically advance to the next grade each
year. Elementary education lasts six years.
Secondary education
Middle school education is compulsory and partially free. Here “partially” means that
only those students in rural areas and students specified under the Special Education
Promotion Act can receive the full benefit of a free education. At present, thirty city
areas and forty rural areas are specified as middle school compulsory education areas.
The length of studies is three years, and the age of pupils is from 12 to 14 years.
Elementary school graduates are assigned to schools in their residential area through a
random method. This random assignment system is applied to both public and private
schools. The middle school enrolment rate reached 99.1% in 2000.
In 1995, 96.5% of middle school graduates entered high school. Middle school
graduates are provided with an option for two tracks: general academic high school
and vocational high school. Those who are admitted to a vocational high school
cannot transfer to a general academic high school. As of 1995, the students of general
academic high schools made up 62.4% of the total high school enrolment while those
in vocational high schools accounted for 37.6%. Vocational high schools are divided
into agricultural, technical, commercial, and fishery schools. There are also vocational
schools called comprehensive schools, which offer both general and vocational
programmes.
The admission procedure to high schools in equalized areas follows certain

steps. Using a random assignment method, middle school graduates are assigned to
academic public or private high schools. After the assessment for vocational high
schools is completed, middle school graduates who opt for academic high schools
submit an application through their schools to the Provincial Offices of Education.
Following an examination by the local offices of education, a computerized
programme assigns students to different high schools through a random method. In
non-equalized areas, students directly apply to high schools they wish to enter.
Therefore, the admission of applicants is upon the high schools, according to their
own selection criteria.
In addition, special high schools have been established for science, arts,
foreign languages and physical education. In order to identify the scientifically gifted
at an early age and to provide them with specialized educational programmes, the
Ministry of Education founded the Kyonggi Science High School in 1983, and fifteen
science high schools were in existence as of 1996. These schools select their students
through different appraisal procedures and are allowed to do so before the screening
for vocational high schools begins. To be eligible for entrance into a science high
school, the applicants should be placed within the top 3% of students in school
achievement in their second year and the first semester of the third year of middle
school. Also, they should be recommended by the principal. There are fourteen
foreign language high schools, sixteen arts high schools, and thirteen athletic middle
and high schools. These schools are responsible for the selection of students,
developing curricula, employing teachers, and the management of financial resources
according to their own regulations.

Higher education institutions mainly fall into five categories: four-year

colleges and universities offering bachelor’s degrees (school of medicine, oriental
medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine require six years of study); teachers’
colleges (four-year programme); junior colleges for mid-level technicians (two- or
three-year programme); polytechnics; and miscellaneous schools.
The school year consists of at least thirty-four working weeks (thirty weeks in
the first grade of elementary education). The academic year consists of two semesters.
The first semester begins on 1 March and ends on 31 August. The second semester
extends from the beginning of September to the end of February.
The financing of education

T
Education financing in the Republic of Korea can be analyzed on the basis of its
source and distribution mechanisms. There are four main sources: central government,
local government, students and parents, and school juridical persons (i.e. private
foundations which establish and manage private schools). Grants from the central
government and tuition and fees from students and parents are the major sources for
financing education. About 84% of the Ministry of Education’s budget was
transferred to local governments (provincial offices of education) in 1995 as grants on
a lump-sum basis. Local governments distribute them to high schools and the county
offices of education, which in turn distribute them to elementary and middle schools.
In principle, each provincial office of education has its own distribution mechanism,
such as unit cost per school and per classroom.
In the funding structure of educational finance the roles of the government and
school juridical persons have been relatively limited compared with other developed
countries, although their portions of direct educational expenditure have increased
recently. The high portion of education expenditure borne by students and parents
(especially out-of-school expenditure) reflects the Korean people’s high zeal for
education on the one hand, but a school’s inability to provide various kinds of high
quality educational services, on the other. It also points to an inefficient use of the
available national resources, the heavy financial burden on parents and an aggravation
of inequality in the social structure.
The budget of the Ministry of Education consists of general and special

accounts. The former includes current operational costs, grants for local education,
and subsidies to national educational institutions and support organizations. The latter
includes special accounts for: (i) transfer for local education, (ii) improvement of the
educational environment, (iii) rural development tax management, etc. By law, the
central government is obligated to bear the cost of the remuneration of teachers in
compulsory education and recurrent expenses for local education, which account for
11.8% of the internal tax revenue. In addition, the central government transfers
revenue from the education tax to local education authorities. While the central
government distributes local education grants according to the estimated differences
between standard fiscal demand and standard fiscal revenue of each local government,
the education tax is distributed on the basis of the population in the province.

The major source of financing private education is tuition and fees from
students. In terms of students, private schools account for 1.6% of primary schools,
24% of middle schools, 60.1% of high schools, and 75.1% of colleges and universities
as of 1995. The proportion of private school students is particularly pronounced in
high schools and colleges. The government enacted a law exempting private schools
from taxation in the acquisition and sales of properties related to school education and
is providing subsidies to cover shortages of remuneration of teachers and operational
costs. Loans are provided through the Korea Private School Promotion Foundation to
help private schools with expansion and renovation of facilities.
The share of direct educational expenditure from Gross National Product

(GNP) has risen from 8.7% in 1966 to 12.56% in 1994, although it fell in 1977. In-
school expenditure, expressed as percentage of GNP, has steadily increased from
4.35% in 1966 to 6.53% in 1994. The differences between the two sets of ratios tell us
that the portion of out-of-school expenditure in direct educational expenditure is more
or less 50%. The ratio of government expenditure on education to GNP also has kept
increasing.
Direct expenditure on education consists of in-school expenditure (which

corresponds to what the OECD defines as public educational expenditure plus tuition
and fees) and out-of-school expenditure (which corresponds to what the OECD
defines as private educational expenditure minus tuition and fees). In-school
expenditure covers the expenses for the operation and construction of schools, which
are financed by students and parents, central and local governments, and school
juridical persons (private foundations). Out-of-school expenditures are expenses
incurred by students and parents for their education in the form of the purchase of
textbooks and reference books, stationery, transportation, private tutoring,
extracurricular activities, school uniforms, room and board, and other expenses.
The total amount of in-school expenditure for 1994 was estimated at 18,909
billion won (about US$24.4 billion), of which 53.2% was assumed by the central
government, 2.4% by local governments, 32.1% by students, and the remaining 12.3%
by private foundations. Of in-school expenditure, the portion assumed by students was
relatively large, especially until the mid-1980s. The portion assumed by the central
government has increased since the mid-1980s, while the portion assumed by students
has decreased since 1977, indicating the central government’s effort to invest more in
education.
The share of in-school expenditure for primary school education has steadily
decreased since 1963, while those for middle and high schools have increased slightly
since 1982. It is interesting to note that in-school expenditure for kindergartens have
steadily increased since 1977 even though the actual expenditure level has been
relatively small. The share of in-school expenditure for higher education increased
from 14.3% in 1963 to 31.2% in 1982, and decreased to 27.3% in 1990, and increased
again to 30.2% in 1994. Considering the importance of a high level of technology and
science in our future society as a result of the structural change in industries and
occupations, Korea needs to adjust its distribution structure of educational expenditure
by increasing the share allocated to higher education.

In sum, governments (central and local) and students (parents) have played a
key role in providing financial resources to school education. Especially in the case of
students’ (parents’) contributions, the sum of in-school (tuition and fees) and out-of-
school expenditure accounts for two-thirds of the total educational expenditure on
average.
In its drive to guarantee excellence and equity in education, the government

has devised the following policy measures:
• Increase government educational investment up to 5% of the GNP by 1998 so

that various kinds of high-quality services can be offered.
• Diversify education’s financial sources, encourage the establishment of solid

systematic relationships between schools and industry, and request school
managers to work at soliciting donations and gifts from the private sector.
• Develop a more rational distribution mechanism to ensure an equitable

allocation of central government grants to local governments and, in turn, local
government grants to school units. This system is expected to increase
efficiency in the financial management of educational institutions through
constructive competition.
• Develop and provide various kinds of educational services within a substantial

number of schools. Such a measure is aimed at deterring the inequity which
results when students from wealthier families seek private tutoring for their
children to ensure that they are able to pass the various entrance examinations
and do well in school. With the measure proposed, quality tutoring will be
available to any student in need, thus lessening the financial burden now
imposed on families.
The educational process

T
The Education Law articulates the goals and objectives of education at each school
level. To ensure a standard quality, Article 155 prescribes the curriculum for each
school level and the criteria for the development of textbooks and instructional
materials.
Curricula are revised on a periodical basis to reflect the emerging needs of a

changing society and the new frontiers of disciplines. Since the Republic of Korea
was established, there have been six curriculum revisions, the last in 1992. The main
principles set at the sixth revision were: decentralization in curriculum decisions;
diversification of structure; appropriate content; and efficiency in the operation of
curricula. The major goal of the curricula is to cultivate healthy, self-reliant, creative
and morally sound Korean citizens who will be leaders in the twenty-first century.
Under the sixth revision, the curricula of kindergarten and elementary schools
were promulgated on 30 September, those of middle schools on 30 June, and those of
high schools on 30 October 1992.

The Seventh Curricular Revision was called for by the Educational Reform
Committee, which was an advisory body directly answerable to the President. In its
proposal for a basic scheme of curricular reform, the Special Committee on
Curriculum under the Educational Reform Committee recommended to develop a new
curriculum. The Ministry of Education, then, commissioned the Korea Educational
Development Institute (KEDI) to undertake basic and general research for curricular
reform at the elementary and secondary school levels in March 1996. By conducting
the research commissioned by the Ministry, the KEDI has developed a measure to
improve elementary and secondary school curricula that would help the basic scheme
of the Educational Reform Committee to be harmoniously realized.
In the process, designing and policy-making for the national curriculum have
been conducted in an organic inter-connection between different parties. Curriculum-
related policies were mainly decided by relevant departments at the Ministry of
Education, while curricular design was undertaken primarily by the Curricular
Revision Research and Development (R&D) Group, mainly staffed by KEDI
personnel. The Group consisted of four teams: the first team was to develop overall
curricula for elementary, middle, and general high schools; the second was to improve
overall curricula for vocational high schools; the third was to improve overall
curricula for special purpose high schools; and the fourth was to conduct research on
the proposal of differentiated curriculum. Among them, the first R&D team played the
role of the overseeing team in charge of improving the systemic and structural
dimensions of elementary and secondary school curricula. The Research Committee
for Curricular Revision was formed for the purpose of reviewing and consulting the
process and outcome of researching and developing the curriculum together with the
Curricular Revision Research and Development Group.
With the two organizations as the main basis, Ministry personnel, KEDI
researchers, basic research team leader, other curriculum experts, school teachers, and
subject specialists gathered together and made decisions on the general scheme and
researching and developing of the curriculum for each school subjects. During the
entire process of the revision, conferences, seminars, and hearings for formulating and
reviewing the overall scheme took place over eighty times. The entire number of the
people who participated in revising the overall scheme turned out to be 4,598.
Particularly in the public hearing for reviewing the overall scheme of the new
curriculum, held in August, 1996, approximately 800 individuals participated and
presented their opinions on controversial issues.
After the public hearing, review of the proposal for the overall scheme of the
new curriculum began in November of the same year, and the revision plan was
confirmed in February 1997. Based upon the confirmed scheme and the criteria for
distributing yearly teaching hours, basic research for curricular revision of subjects
and development of an implementation plan for the revised curriculum have been
commissioned to KEDI, Korea National University of Education, Taegu University,
Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan University, and Inchon National
University of Education. In August of the same year, review of the subject curricula
was conducted, and the Seventh Elementary and Secondary School Curriculum was
announced on 30 December 1997, after undergoing several occasions of reviewing
and correcting.

Since the newly proposed curriculum was a product of great change in

perspective which went beyond the traditional framework of the extant curriculum,
the Educational Reform Committee undertook assessment of the basic framework for
the national curriculum through broad-ranged public hearings in order to test practical
applicability of the ideas of the new curriculum. Overall, 14,322 experts, teachers,
teaching staff, and the parents of students participated yearly. A total of 284 meetings,
seminars, and public hearings were convened, and a total of 127 meetings were held
by the 1,794 members appointed to discuss and develop the curriculum.
The Seventh Curriculum was developed based on the following fundamental

understanding: (i) continuing the ‘process-oriented’ curricular perspective of the
previous Sixth Curriculum, the curriculum is viewed as a concrete and comprehensive
educational plan designed for managing the quality of learner’s learning experience.
This perspective intended to include not only the core parts such as educational goal,
characteristic of educational contents, educational method, evaluation, and
management method, but also consideration of education’s frame factors which
influence the core parts; (ii) planning and managing educational activities are
reflected in the thought frame of educational consumers, and "equal education based
on the principle of appropriateness" is sought.
The common national basic curriculum consists of curricular subjects,

autonomous activities, and special activities. The curricular subjects are Korean
language, morals, social studies, mathematics, science, practical studies (technical
studies or home economics), physical education, music, fine art, and foreign language
(English). But the subjects of the first two years of elementary school are Korean
language, mathematics, and the integrated subjects of ‘right life’, ‘wise life’, ‘happy
life’, and ‘We the first graders.’ From the elementary school first grade to high school
first grade, systematization, connectivity, and integration of curricular contents should
be maintained, keeping redundancy and jump of contents in different grades and
subjects at the minimum. The first and second grades’ integrated subjects (right life,
wise life, happy life, and We the first graders) have been formed based on perspective
of integrating different subjects since the Fourth Curriculum era. In the Seventh
Curriculum, however, they are to be reorganized based on the ideas of open education
centering around integrated activity themes.
There is an item concerning ‘cross-curricular learning’ in the guideline for

organizing and managing national curriculum, which was to provide curricular
integration measure to the following learning themes: democratic citizenship
education, character education, environment education, economics education, energy
education, education to raise work spirit, health education, safety education, sex
education, consumer education, career education, unification education, education for
Korean cultural identity, education for international understanding, oceanography
education, and education for "informationization" and information ethics. These
cross-curricular learning themes are to be taught mainly through the "discretionary
activities"; they are to be treated in an integral fashion across the entire activities of
schooling, encompassing related curricular subjects and special activities; they are to
be taught in connection to local community and family. Reduction of students’
workload was made the most crucial guideline, thus it has been emphasized that both
breadth and level of learning should be adjusted based upon the "minimum necessary
learning elements."

As a part of the follow-up measures for implementation of the new curriculum,

reference materials for curricular subjects at each school level were developed and
distributed to schools. A total of 1,041 textbooks addressing changes in curricular
subjects have been developed primarily by the Korea Institute of Curriculum and
Evaluation (KICE), colleges of education, and teachers’ colleges, and a variety of
instructional and learning materials have been distributed. Also, standard for criterion-
referenced assessment for each revised curricular subject has been consecutively
developed, as a quality-control mechanism for the curricular subjects. Ready
dissemination of the data for the Curriculum and free inter-communication among
relevant parties were sought by building a database for the Curriculum and
constructing an on-line network connecting the Ministry of Education, Municipal and
Provincial Offices of Education and their affiliated research institutes, national-level
research institutes such as the KICE, and schools.
Efforts to decentralize the curriculum decision-making brought about some

positive consequences, but not as many as were intended. For example, the national
curriculum allows each high school to come up with its very own set of courses and
take into consideration the variable needs, but ten out of sixteen provincial offices of
education presented almost the same guidelines as those in the national curriculum
and did not specify the courses to be offered, thus showing no major difference among
regions.
Under the current system, there is an overlap in the role between the Ministry
of Education, the Municipal and Provincial Offices of Education (MPOEs), and
schools in regard to developing and implementing the curriculum. In addition, the
MPOEs are supposed to formulate guidelines for curriculum organization and
implementation without selecting any type of subject content. The main job of the
MPOEs is to execute the national curriculum in each of its regions. Furthermore, the
MPOEs construct guidelines for curriculum organization and implementation at each
school but not by school size (large, medium, small) although medium and small
schools have difficulty in organizing and implementing curriculum due to a lack of
teachers, budget, and facilities.
Pre-primary education (Kindergarten)
Kindergarten aims at providing an appropriate environment for the nurturing of

children and promoting the wholesome development of the child throughout varied
activities with diversified content and methods of instruction. The kindergarten
curriculum was set at the national level by the Education Law 146 and 147 in 1992.
The goals of pre-primary education are as follows:
• to instill habits for a healthy and safe life and a balanced physical
development;
• to develop an ability to understand others and to express ideas using

appropriate language;
• to have pride in what one does and to develop an ability to express creatively
one’s feelings and ideas in music, dance, and painting;

• to develop the basic habits necessary for daily life and to foster a love of
family, peers, and neighbours;
The kindergarten curriculum consists of five life areas: physical, social,

expressive, language, and inquiry. Although the government has developed and
disseminated kindergarten curriculum guidelines and teaching-learning materials, the
municipal and provincial educational authorities determine the structure and operation
of individual kindergarten curricula in detail. Standard instructional time is three
hours per day, but in reality kindergartens tend to offer classes for four or more hours
everyday, 180 days per year. Kindergartens used to provide a half-day program, but
now many of them extended the programs to last for 5-8 hours or more. The former is
called ‘extended program,’ and the latter is called ‘full-day program.’ Out of the total
8,275 kindergartens, 3,099 kindergartens (37.4 %) operate an extended program and
5,176 kindergartens (62.5 %) operate a full-day program. Only the remaining 19%
provide a traditional half-day program. Full-day programs are used mostly by urban
families, whereas extended programs are preferred by families in rural and fishery
communities.
The Ministry of Education has concentrated on building public kindergartens

in rural areas while encouraging the private sector to establish kindergartens in big
cities where a large number of kindergarten-aged children are concentrated.
As of 2005, there are 28,040 childcare centers with 972,391 children at ages 0
to 5 and over 95% of the centers including home-based play rooms (41.9%) are
private, serving 89.1% of the children at the age range. 83.3% of the centers are
located in cities and towns as only 16.6% are in rural and fishery communities. The
size of childcare facilities is rather small as 39.8% of them have less than 20 children.
National or public facilities tend to be larger than private ones as 35.4% of them have
66-91 children.
As of 2005, 541,603 children (32% of the children at ages 3-5) are attending
kindergartens. In the same year, 972,391 children (20.7% of the children at ages 0-5)
received the care service. 28.9% of the children at ages 0-2 are in childcare centers,
whereas 73.4% of the children at ages 3-5 are either in childcare centers or
kindergartens (39% and 34%, respectively). When the age increases, the combined
enrollment rates also increase as they are 62%, 70.7%, and 75.8% for 3-, 4-, and 5-
year-old children, respectively. More children, up to the age 4, attend childcare
centers than kindergartens, whereas more children attend kindergartens than childcare
centers at age 5.
The turning point of systemic development of childcare facilities was 1991

when the Child Care Act was adopted. After proclamation of this law, childcare
facilities have attempted to perform quality care and educational functions as well as
simple babysitting service. Kindergartens should follow the Early Childhood
Education Act (2004) in 2005, while childcare facilities should comply with the Child
Care Act.
While kindergarten education has been supervised by the Ministry of

Education and Human Resources Development, childcare services have developed
with the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family as a part of welfare system initially

targeted for young children of disadvantaged groups. Although each of the two ECCE
systems has followed its own path and development, the goals of the two systems are
now merging into one, that is, both education and care. In fact, this may be a natural
consequence in that both systems are concerned with young children, and education
and care cannot be separated from each other for the children’s benefits and
development.
Kindergarten teachers are normally graduates of four-year colleges, two- to

three- year junior vocational colleges, or correspondence colleges, with a major in
pre-school education. Almost all the kindergarten teachers (94.7%) are college
graduates: 26.1% of them from 4-year colleges and universities and 70% from 2- to 3-
year colleges. However, in the case of national or public kindergartens, 56.3% of the
teachers are graduates of 4-year colleges and universities while 80% of the private
kindergarten teachers are graduates of 2- to 3- year colleges. This difference in
educational levels of these two groups of teachers is due to different recruitment
methods; national or public kindergarten teachers are selected through rigorous
national examination, whereas private kindergarten teachers are not required to pass
the examination or to have 4-year college degrees. Thus, employers of private
kindergartens prefer to hire 2- to 3- year college graduates who are less of a financial
responsibility for them. 55.1% of kindergarten teachers have less than 5 years of work
experience, and few have more than 20 years of work experience. The staff in
childcare centers is composed of 4-year college graduates (16.6%), 2-year college
graduates (59.2%), and high school graduates (24.2%). This indicates still very high
proportion of college graduates as the combined rate is over 75%. 53.2% of the
caregivers have less than 5 years of work experience.
Recent policy concerns for ECCE are found in the Plan for Establishment of
Early Childhood Education as Public Education presented by the Educational Reform
Committee in 1997. The reform direction in the plan includes the following three
aspects: (i) education for 3- to 5-year-old children should be included in a new public
preschool system, where education and care services are integrated and provided
together; (ii) priority should be given to disadvantaged children from low-income
families in providing an access to ECCE programs for the sake of educational equity;
and (iii) at least one-year free education before formal schooling should be provided
to all 5-year-old children so that every child has an equal start.
The government is expanding free education for 5-year-olds nationwide. There

has been a slight delay to the implementation of the policy due to financial
circumstances, but the government intends to achieve complete free education for all
5-year-old children by 2010.
Primary education
Primary education is provided in elementary schools for children aged 6-11 (Grades I-
VI). The general objective of elementary education is to cultivate healthy, self-reliant,
creative and morally sound Korean individuals who will be leaders in the twenty-first
century. The goals are as follows:
• To provide students with a variety of experience for a balanced development

of both mind and body.

• To help students develop the basic ability to recognize and solve problems in
their daily lives and to provide them with the ability to express their own
feelings and ideas in diverse ways.
• To provide students with a wide range of learning experience conducive to the

understanding of diverse working environments.
• To develop the right attitude for understanding and appreciating Korea’s

unique tradition and culture.
• To develop basic life habits necessary for everyday living and to foster the
love of fellow citizens and country.
The elementary school curriculum is composed of several compulsory

subjects, extracurricular activities, and optional courses. The table below shows the
yearly lesson timetable for elementary education in accordance with the common
national basic curriculum:
The average number of students per class was 36.4 in 1995, and the pupil/teacher ratio
was 29.7:1 (30:1 in 2004). The heavy concentration of the school population in urban
areas, however, has brought about overcrowded classes and oversized schools in
cities. Accordingly, the government levied an education tax to secure financial
resources for a better educational environment and to improve teachers’ socio-
economic status. As a result, the number of students per class has dropped to 35.6 in
1996, to 35.8 in 2000, and to 32.9 in 2004. Oversized schools were divided into

smaller ones and the double-shift system of classes has almost disappeared.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, in 2004 the gross enrolment ratio
was 105% and the net enrolment ratio was 100%.
Once children enter elementary school, they automatically advance to the next
grade each year. Almost all primary students are promoted to middle school and high
school. The promotion rate from primary to middle school was 99.3% in 1990 and
99.9% in 2003. The dropout rate at primary school is near zero and thus is not even
reported.
Beginning in 1996, an early attendance system which allows admission of 5-

20% of 5-year-olds, provided that they prove the acquisition of basic learning abilities
was implemented. Each region has a different rate of extra admission according to the
capacity of its elementary schools. For example, Kyungki Province can admit 5% of
5-year-olds, whereas Chulla Province can admit 20%. In addition to the early
attendance system, an accelerated grade advancement system was introduced which
allows a bright child to skip a grade and advance to the next grade level. This
accelerated advancement is allowed twice during an individual’s elementary and
middle school years.
Secondary education
Secondary education is provided both in middle schools for students aged 12-14
(Grades VII-IX) and in high schools for students aged 15-17 (Grades X-XII). Middle
school education puts emphasis on helping students acquire basic abilities essential
for learning and everyday living, and to help students become democratic citizenship
through a successful elementary school education. Its goals are as follows:
• To promote a well-balanced development of both mind and body and to

provide students with the opportunity to discover their own potentials.
• To help students cultivate the basic and problem-solving abilities necessary

for learning and everyday living and to equip them with the ability to
creatively express their thoughts and feelings.
• To enable students to attain knowledge and skills in diverse fields so that they
can actively explore their career opportunities.
• To foster an attitude of pride in Korea’s unique tradition and culture.
• To cultivate an understanding of the basic values and principles of free

democracy and a democratic lifestyle.
The middle school curriculum is composed of several compulsory subjects, elective

subjects, and extracurricular activities. The yearly lesson timetable is shown in the
table below:

Middle school graduates or those with an equivalent academic background may enter
high schools. Almost all primary students are promoted to middle school and high
school. The period of study is three years and there are several kinds of high schools
such as general high schools, vocational high schools, science high schools, visual and
performing arts high schools and foreign language high schools. Each different type
of high school has its particular curriculum. One study unit equals the amount of
school learning undertaken by a fifty-minute instruction period per week for one
semester (equivalent to seventeen weeks).
High school education puts an emphasis on helping students acquire the

abilities essential for their chosen career paths and develop the qualifications of
world-class citizens through a successful middle school education. Its goals are as
follows:
• To help students develop a well-harmonized character along with a sound

body and mind and a mature sense of self-identity
• To help students develop the logical, critical, and creative thinking abilities
necessary for the further pursuit of academics and for everyday living
• To enable students in attaining knowledge and skills across diverse fields so

that they will be able to build a career well-suited to their aptitude and interest
• To encourage students to work towards developing a distinctive tradition and

culture appropriate for the global setting
• To help students strive to build a national community and develop the

awareness and attitude of global citizens.

The tables below show the timetable and the list of general subjects and electives in
the high school’s curriculum:

High school’s elective curriculum (Grades XI and XII): list of general subjects
and electives
Category Common national Electives

basic subjects
General electives Enrichment electives

Korean Korean language(4) Korean language life (4) Speech(4), Reading(8), Composition(8),
S language Grammar(4), Literature(8),
U Morals Citizen’s ethics (4) Citizen’s ethics (4) Ethics and ideas(4), Traditional ethics(4),
B
J Social studies Social studies (10) Human society and Geography of Korea(8), World geography(8),
E (Korean History 4) environment (4) Economic geography(6), Modern
C history of Korea(8), World History (8), Law & the
T society(6),
S Politics (8), Economy(6), Society & Culture(8)
Mathematics Mathematics (8) Practical mathematics(4) Math I(8), Math II(8), Calculus(4),
Probability & Statistics(4),
Dispersion math(4), Physics I(4), Chemistry I(4),
Science Science (6) Life and Science(4) Biology I(4), Earth science I(4), Physics II(6),
Chemistry II(6), Biology II (6),
Technology & Technology & Information society & computer Earth science II(6), Agricultural
Home Home economics science(6),Industrial technology(6), Industry
economics (6) management(6),
Oceanography(6), Home science(6)
Physical Physical education(4) Physical education and Physical ed. theory(4), Physical ed. performance(4
education Music (2) health(4) and up)*, theory(4), Music performance(4 and
Music Art (2) Music and life(4) up)*, Art theory(4), Art performance (4 and up)*
Art Art and life(4)
Foreign English (8) English I(8), English II(8), English
language conversation(8),English reading(8),
English composition(8)
German I(6), French I(6), German II (6), French II (6),
Spanish I(6),Chinese I(6), Spanish II (6), Chinese II (6),
Japanese I(6),Russian I (6), Japanese II (6), Russian II (6),
Arabic I(6 Arabic II (6)
Chinese Chinese character(6) Chinese classics(6)

character
Military Military training(6)
training
Psychology (4), Education (4),
Liberal arts Living economics (4),
Religion (4), Ecology and
environment(4), Career &
occupation(4),Miscellaneous
(4)
Credit unit (56) 24 and up 112 and below
Autonomous activities (12)
Extra-curricular (4) 8
activities
Total credit unit 216
Source: Republic of Korea, 2001. Each teaching period lasts 50 minutes.
Notes:
Figures within parentheses are unit numbers. One unit is the quantity of class of 50 minutes given for
one semester (17 weeks).
The unit numbers allotted to common national basic curriculum and autonomous activities and the 4
units allotted to special activities are to be taken in grade X.
The enrichment electives of physical education, music, and fine art marked with * should be chosen
among the specialized curricular subjects belonging to the category ‘physical education and arts.’
When enrichment electives are necessary for liberal arts subjects, a subject may be chosen among those
included in the list of specialized curricular subjects, or a new subject may be opened based on the
municipal or provincial management rule.
In high schools where main focus is placed on specialized education, students should take specialized
subjects of over 82 credit units chosen from the list.
Credit unit for each subject belonging to the specialized subject category is to be determined by the
Superintendent of Municipal or Provincial Office of Education. Credit unit per each subject in the
subject categories of foreign language and international affairs should be 8 and below.

High school’s elective curriculum (Grades XI and XII): specialized subjects
Category Subject Intended college

department
Subject on Understanding agriculture, Elementary technique of agriculture, Plant resource,
agriculture Agricultural Animal resource,
information management, Agricultural management, Elementary Agricultural
biological management,
engineering, Cultivation, Crop production technique, Forest and human Agricultural
being, Forest resource technique, Horticulture, Living horticulture, engineering,
Manufacturing material, Horticulture technique I, Horticulture technique Food processing,
II, Agricultural
Stock raising, Breeding technique I, Breeding technique II, Silkworm and machinery,
silk, Silk yarn technique, Agricultural machinery, Agricultural machinery Landscape,
building, Agricultural machinery technology I, Agricultural machinery Agricultural
technology II, Agriculture and water, Rural area and arable land product
development, Agricultural engineering technology I, Agricultural distribution,
engineering technology II, Food science, Food sanitation, Food processing Environmental
technology I, Food processing technology II, Environmental preservation, preservation,
Environmental management I, Environmental management II, Landscape and
architecture, Landscape architecture technique I, Landscape architecture miscellaneous
technique II, Agricultural product distribution, Distribution management I,
Distribution management II, and the miscellaneous
Subject on Introduction to manufacturing industry, Elementary cartography, Machinery,
manufacturing Elementary information technology, Advanced cartography, General Electronic
industry machinery, General electricity, Industrial English, Machinery design, machinery,
Machinery tool technique, Motor, Hydraulic instrument, Air balancing Metal,
facility, Elementary machine tool building, Machine tool I, Machine tool Resources,
II, Industrial facility, Steel frame production, Electric machinery theory, Electricity,
Electric machinery circuit, Electric machine building, Electric machine Electronics,
control, Metals, Metal production, Plastic processing, Casting, Metal Communication,
processing, Resource development, Dynamite and blasting, Stone Electronic
processing, Drilling and underground water, Resource development computer, Civil
promotion, Resource development machinery, Applied electricity, Electric engineering,
circuit, Electric instrument, Electric power supply I, Electric power supply Architecture,
II, Electricity and electronics measurement, Automation facility, Industrial design,
Electronic instrument, Applied electronics and computing, Electronic Chemical
circuit, Instrumentation control, General communications, engineering,
Information communication, Communication system, Computer structure, Ceramics, Food
System programming, Programming, Digital logic circuit, Multimedia, engineering,
Dynamics, Engineering design, General engineering, Surveying, Textile, Printing,
Engineering material and construction, Irrigation and soil, Acreage Automobile,
computation, Acreage management, Architectural structure, General Ship-building,
architectural planning, Architectural construction I, Architectural Airplane,
construction II, Architectural construction III, Industrial arts, Color Environmental
management, Molding, Product design, Chemical engineering engineering, and
instrumentation control, Industrial chemistry, Unit manipulation, miscellaneous
Production chemistry, Congelation and cementation ceramics, new
ceramics, Micro-particle ceramics, High temperature ceramics, Food
engineering I, Applied ceramics, Fermentation industry, Food production
machinery, Wrapping and sewing, Food engineering II, Textile material,
Cotton-spinning and threading, Flat panel printing, Dye processing,
General printing, Printing material, Automobile and construction machine,
Special printing, Photography and electronic engraving, Photography
technique, Construction machine structure and repair, Automobile parts,
Automobile chassis, Automobile electricity, Ship-building, Ship theory,
Ship structure, Ship fitting out, Airplane equipment, General airplane,
Airplane body, Airplane parts, Airplane electronic instrument, General

environmental engineering, Air and noise pollution prevention, Water

management, Waste disposal, and miscellaneous
Subject on Commercial economy, Accounting principle, General computer, General Management
commerce management, Commercial law, Practical commercial calculation, Practical information,
management, Corporation accounting, Production cost accounting, Accounting
Taxation accounting, Practical accounting, Practical computing, Trade information,
English, International commerce, Data processing, Practical visual design, Trade
Practical programming, General visual design, Photography, General information,
secretarial affairs, Graphic design, Computer graphics, Practical tourism Information
management, Practical document processing, Practical secretarial affairs, processing,
General office automation, Practical distribution information, Marketing, Visual design,
General advertisement, General distribution management, and the Tourism
miscellaneous management,
Secretarial
affairs, Office
automation,
Distribution
management, and
miscellaneous
Subject on General fishery, General maritime affairs, General oceanography, Fishery, Marine
fishery and Information processing for fishery and sea transport, Ocean biology, farming, Self-
sea transport General fishery management, Fishery, Marine farming, Farming biology employed
and disease, Marine processing, Marine processing machinery, Marine fishery, Sea food,
product distribution, Marine product sale management, Ocean Marine product
environment, Sea pollution, General refrigeration, Refrigeration machine, distribution,
Refrigeration facility and design, Heat instrument, Ship’s auxiliary Ocean
machine, Ship electricity and electronics, Machine design and environment,
instrumentation, Maritime engineering, Marine structure design and Refrigeration
construction, Submerging technology, Sailing, Ship management, machine, Power
Maritime law, Maritime English, Ship transportation, electronic machine,
communication engineering, electronic communication instrument, Maritime
electronic communication management, and miscellaneous engineering,
Sailing, Ship
transport,
Electronic
communication,
and
miscellaneous
Subject on Human development, Food and nutrition, Dining management, Korean Cooking,
home cooking, Foreign cooking, Bakery, Clothing material management, Fashion,
economics Fashion design, Korean clothing component, Western clothing Embroidery,
and component, Home fashion, Knitting, Korean pattern, Embroidery, Living, Interior design,
practical Interior design, Furniture design, Display, Toddler education and Early childhood
studies supervision, Toddler life education, Toddler play and expression education,
guidance, General tourism, Travel business, Hotel business, Tourism Tourism, Senior
cooking, Tourism English, Tourism Japanese, Senior citizen’s life citizen welfare
support, Hair design, Skin management, Public sanitation, and and nursing,
miscellaneous Make-up art, and
miscellaneous
Subject on Physics experiment, Chemistry experiment, Biology experiment, History
science of science, Electronic science, Computer science I, Advanced
mathematics, Advanced physics, Advanced biology, Advanced earth
science, Research assignment I, Environment science, Modern science and
technology, Original text reading, Philosophy of science, and
miscellaneous

Subject on Introduction to physical education, Sports science, Field and track,

physical Gymnastics, Swimming, Ball sports, Dance, Field and track game,
education Gymnastics game, Swimming game, Ball game, Fight game, Shooting,
Archery, Weight lifting, Ice sports, Bicycle, Golf, Yacht, rowing,
Bowling, Ski, Fencing, Badminton, Canoe, and miscellaneous
Subject on Music theory, History of music, Singing and hearing, Major field Music, Arts,
arts performance, Chamber music, Chorus and ensemble, Instrument play, Dance,
Computer and music, Music listening, Art theory, History of art, Sketch, Literature, Drama
Drawing, Woodblock print, Sculpture, Design, Craft, Calligraphy, Screen and
art, Dance theory, History of dance, Movement analysis, Korean dance, Cinema, and
Ballet, Modern dance, Folk dance, Dance music, Creating dance, Dance Photography
appreciation, Introduction to literature, History of literature, Writing,
Classical literature, Modern literature, Poetry writing, Novel writing,
Drama writing, Introduction to drama, Introduction to cinema, History of
drama, History of cinema, Speech, Elementary acting, Stage technology,
Radio and television, Major area performance, Introduction to
photography, History of photography, Elementary photography
performance, Intermediate photography performance, Dark room
performance, Lighting performance, Photography editing, and
miscellaneous
Subject English reading I, English reading II, English conversation I, English English, German,
foreign conversation II, English composition I, English composition II, English French, Spanish,
languages listening, English grammar, Culture in English-speaking areas, Practical Chinese,
English, German reading I, German reading II, German conversation I, Japanese,
German conversation II, German composition I, German composition II, Russian, and
German listening, German grammar, German culture, Practical German, Arabic
French reading I, French reading II, French conversation I, French
conversation II, French composition I, French composition II, French
listening, French grammar, French culture, Practical French, Spanish
reading I, Spanish reading II, Spanish conversation I, Spanish
conversation II, Spanish composition I, Spanish composition II, Spanish
listening, Spanish grammar, Culture in Spanish-speaking areas, Practical
Spanish, Chinese reading I, Chinese reading II, Chinese conversation I,
Chinese conversation II, Chinese composition I, Chinese composition II,
Chinese listening, Chinese grammar, Chinese culture, Practical Chinese,
Japanese reading I, Japanese reading II, Japanese conversation I, Japanese
conversation II, Japanese composition I, Japanese composition II,
Japanese listening, Japanese grammar, Japanese culture, Practical
Japanese, Russian reading I, Russian reading II, Russian conversation I,
Russian conversation II, Russian composition I, Russian composition II,
Russian listening, Russian grammar, Russian culture, Practical Russian,
Arabic reading I, Arabic reading II, Arabic conversation I, Arabic
conversation II, Arabic composition I, Arabic composition II, Arabic
listening, Arabic grammar, Arab culture, Practical Arabic, and
miscellaneous
Subject on English reading, German reading, French reading, Spanish reading,
international Chinese reading, Japanese reading, Russian reading, Arabic reading,
affairs International politics, International economy, International problems,
Comparative culture, Information science, International law, Area
understanding, Humankind’s future society, Korean traditional culture,
Korean modern society, Korean language, Research assignment, Art
performance, and miscellaneous
Total credit 82
unit
Notes: In high schools where main focus is placed on specialized education, the following are required
subjects:

(a) Agriculture track: Understanding agriculture, Elementary technique of agriculture, and

Agricultural information management.
(b) Manufacturing industry track: Introduction to manufacturing industry, Elementary cartography,
and Elementary information technology.
(c) Commercial track: Commercial economy, Accounting principle, and General computer.
(d) Fishery, sea transport track: General oceanography, Information processing for fishery and sea
transport, General fishery (fishery track), and General maritime affairs (sea transport track).
(e) Home economics and practical studies track: Human development and general computer.
(f) Foreign language track: subject I of each relevant language and the Listening course.
(g) International affairs track: English reading, Area understanding, and Korean traditional culture.
In 1994, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) was 99.9% in middle school and
96.5% in high school. The promotion rate from middle school to high school was
91.4% in 1990 and 99.7% in 2003. The student/teacher ratio was 25.1:1 in middle
schools, 20.9:1 in general high schools, and 19.4:1 in vocational high schools. In
2000, the average number of students per class was 38 at middle school and 42.7 at
high school; in 2004 the figures were 35.1 and 35.7 respectively.
According to provisional data made available by the UNESCO Institute for

Statistics, in 2004 the GER was 93% at the lower secondary and 89% at the upper
secondary level. The student/teacher ratio was 20:1 at the lower and 16:1 at the upper
secondary level.
Assessing learning achievement nationwide
The Presidential Commission on Education Reform established on 31 May 1995 that

each individual student’s comprehensive personal record be documented by teachers,
beginning with the school year 1996. The aim of this new evaluation system is to give
not only summative information but also diagnostic and formative information of
students’ academic achievement and social development. There are thirteen categories
in the comprehensive personal record (including name, physical development,
psychological test results, awards, certificates, career guidance, etc.).
This information will be used to improve teaching-learning processes for each

student. In addition, vocational high schools, science high schools, and special
purpose high schools use such information to select new students among middle
school graduates. Colleges and universities may also use this information along with
scores from the College Scholastic Ability Test administered at the national level to
select students from among high school graduates and those having equivalent
certificates.
The purposes of the National Assessment of Scholastic Achievement (NASA)

are: to monitor the quality of education system through national assessment, which
requires measuring objectives in school curriculum; and to improve teaching and
learning methods by assessing students higher order thinking skills. The table below
shows the structure of NASA:

School level Grades Testing Participants Subject Areas

dates
Elementary IV, V, VI September 1,850,000 Korean, Math, Social Studies,
school 1997 Science.
Middle I, II (VII, September 1,600,000 Korean, Math, Social Studies,
school VIII) 1997 Science, English.
Academic I, II (X, XI) September 810,000 Grade I: Korean, General
high school 1997 Math, General Social Studies,
General Science, General
English. Grade II: Korean,
Math I, English I.
Questions are posed using mainly the multiple-choice and free-response

format. English listening comprehension test items and science performance
assessment tasks are required as part of English and science tests, respectively. The
results of each school and individual student’s performances are not released to the
public.
By sampling 1% of all participants based on school level and region, the

results of NASA are analyzed and published by the National Board of Educational
Evaluation (NBEE) every year.
Higher education
Higher education institutions mainly fall into five categories: four-year colleges and
universities offering bachelor’s degree programmes, including the Korea National
Open University; teachers’ colleges; vocational junior colleges; polytechnics; and
miscellaneous schools.
As of 1997, there were 150 four-year colleges and universities offering

programmes leading to a bachelor’s degree. However, schools of medicine, oriental
medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine require six years. One credit requires one
hour of class per week in a semester while one credit of laboratory work requires two
hours. In general, a maximum of 24 credits can be earned within a semester. A
minimum of 140 credits is required for graduation with a bachelor’s degree. Four-year
colleges and universities may have one or more graduate schools, depending on their
functions and goals. Since 1997, a graduate school without undergraduate
programmes can be established. As of 2004, there were 171 universities (24 national,
two public and 145 private) offering undergraduate programmes leading to a
bachelor’s degree.
In the same year there were eleven national teachers’ colleges in Korea that
train elementary school teachers. Successful students are awarded a bachelor’s degree
and a teaching certificate for elementary schools. Registration and tuition fees are
waived by the government. Upon graduation, graduates have an obligation to teach
for at least four years in elementary schools.

As of 1997, there were 155 vocational junior colleges: eleven public and 144
private. They enrolled approximately 26% of students in higher education. The most
popular fields are engineering, technology and nursing. The programmes of
vocational junior colleges are two years in length, with the exception of the
fisheries/marine colleges which offer an additional six-month course for navigation
practice, and the nursing programme which is three years in length. As of 2004, there
were 158 junior colleges, 14 national/public and 144 private. The total enrolment was
616,675 students.
Korea National Open University originates from the Korea Air and
Correspondence University founded as a vocational junior college in affiliation to
Seoul National University in 1972. It was upgraded to a five-year institution and
separated from Seoul National University in 1982. The Korea Air and
Correspondence University was renamed Korea National Open University in 1994. It
is now a four-year institution.
Polytechnics provide higher education to the working youths and adults who
missed the opportunities for higher education. There were nineteen polytechnics in
1997, eight public and eleven private.
The category of miscellaneous schools in higher education was established to

provide learning opportunities in the disciplines that are not provided by regular
colleges and universities. In general, these schools are much smaller than other
institutions. Among twelve miscellaneous schools (which are predominantly
seminaries or arts institutes), ten offer four-year undergraduate courses and two offer
junior college courses. Students are awarded a diploma and a certification on
completion of their programmes. Graduates from these schools may enrol in graduate
level programmes of other colleges and universities if the schools are recognized as
qualified by the Ministry of Education.
Bachelor’s degree programmes are offered in twenty-six fields or departments:

humanities; theology; fine arts; music; law; political science; administrative science;
education; library science; economics; business administration; commerce; natural
science; home economics; physical education; dance; engineering; medicine;
dentistry; oriental medicine; sanitation; nursing; pharmacology; agricultural science;
veterinary medicine; and fishery. These fields of study are categorised in six broader
academic courses: humanities; social sciences; natural sciences; medical and
pharmacy; arts and physical education; and teaching.
Vocational junior colleges are two- or three-year post-secondary programmes

and are the direct outgrowth of the increasing demand for technical skills for a rapidly
expanding industrialization. They are now playing a major role as short-term higher
education institutions. The purpose of vocational education is to produce specialized
technicians who can devote themselves to national development through vocational
education and technical research in every field of our society and who can cultivate
students’ talents as well.
A new university system, introduced in 1997, allows business firms to

establish their own university with a view to training high-skilled workers. These
universities offer two-year associate degree programmes and two-year bachelor’s

degree programmes to those holding an associate degree. Only employees of the

business firms are admitted to these universities.
Specialized courses are grouped into technical, agricultural, fishery, nursing,

sanitation, home economics, social practice, arts and athletics, and so on with two- or
three-year programmes depending on the courses. The courses of nursing, clinical
pathology, physical cure, radiation, fishing, navigation and engine technology require
three years of education. Communication courses require two and half years of
education and the rest require two years of education.
Under the Education Law, all higher education institutions, whether national,
public or private, come under the direct and indirect supervision of the Minister of
Education. The Ministry of Education has control over such matters as establishment
of institutions, student enrolment quotas, required qualifications for teaching staff,
degree requirements, etc. With regard to other matters, universities comply with
decisions made by a consortium called the Korea Council for University Education.
In the past, the autonomy of higher education institutions was partially

undermined due to the government’s regulation on institutional management. In
accordance with recent education reform programmes, colleges and universities are
now given full autonomy in decision-making on such important issues as
establishment of institutions, admission quotas, and other academic affairs.
The system for evaluation and accreditation of higher education institutions in

Korea came into operation after a decade of trial and error. The Ministry of Education
evaluates universities according to education policies. A non-governmental,
independent legal entity, the Korea Council for University Education (KCUE) is now
recognized by the Ministry of Education and universities as the agency responsible for
accreditation of educational programmes of universities in Korea.
In terms of the industries in which people have been employed since the mid-
1970s, the structure of the Korean economy has shifted from a primary industry-
centred structure to a secondary and tertiary industry-centred one. Demand for labour
from such primary industries as agriculture, forestry and fishery has tended to
decrease, whereas demand from secondary and tertiary industry has increased.
Demand for labour in the manufacturing sector increased significantly in the 1970s. In
the 1980s, labour demand for tertiary industries began to increase and this trend is
likely to continue for some time.
Such a transformation in economic structure, with rapidly expanding tertiary

industries, demands high-level, high-tech manpower. Yet in spite of the increasing
demand for high-level personnel, the problem of unemployment among college
graduates is becoming more and more serious, with 250,000 persons newly graduating
from post-secondary establishments every year. Consequently, an educated
unemployed population is an expected outcome of an excess supply of graduates in
comparison to the demands and a mismatch between the number of graduates in
different fields of training and the demands of the labour market.

Special education
Special education is free and compulsory in elementary and middle schools, while it is
free in kindergartens and high schools. The central and local governments provide
private special education institutions with financial aid for management costs,
facilities, vocational training, teachers’ salaries and so on. Central and local
governments are responsible for providing policies for early childhood special
education, the training of teachers, and the provision and expansion of special
education facilities.
Special education can take various forms according to an individual

programme’s process and format. There are special kindergartens, special schools,
and special classes. Special classes are designed to provide integrated education for
disabled pupils below the high school level and are run on either a full-time or a part-
time basis, with case-by-case instruction and teaching tours.
Therapeutic special education programmes include psychological, linguistic,

physical and operational treatment and training in basic physical skills and social
adaptability. The programmes are provided on an individual basis, which include not
only the students but their parents as well.
In 1997, the number of special schools was 114. Because some schools
provided educational programmes in more than one disability area, the number of
programmes offered to children with disabilities exceeded the number of schools. The
number of special schools for different types of disability is as follows: twelve are
schools for the visually impaired; nineteen for the hearing impaired; sixty-three for
the mentally retarded; sixteen for the physically impaired; and four for the
emotionally disturbed (ED).
Provision for special education in public education has increased since the
1970s. In 1974, the Ministry of Education proclaimed an enactment that every city or
district should establish one special class, and 177 special classes were then newly
established. Under the influence of the Special Education Promotion Law, the number
of elementary special classes all over the country grew to 411 by 1981. Since 1984
secondary special classes have been established, bringing the number of special
classes to 3,626 in 2,862 regular schools as of 1997.
The number of disabled children who were enrolled in special schools was
22,789 in 1997. The number of students in special schools was 1,343 in 1962; it rose
to 10,000 in 1982 and reached over 22,700 by 1997. In 2004, there were 137 special
schools for the severely handicapped with a total enrollment of 24,192 students. In the
case of the less severely impaired, 26,868 students are given education in 4,102
classes for special needs students and 19,399 classes in regular schools.
The criteria for identifying needs for special education vary according to the
definition of disabilities which a child manifests. The Korean Government has listed
eligibility criteria for special education and related activities. Special schools and
related associations carry out screening and placement tests for children who need
special education according to the identification criteria.

There are four types of curriculum for disabled students depending on their
disabilities: visually handicapped, auditory handicapped, physically handicapped and
mentally retarded. For special class students, teachers follow general school
curriculum with individual educational plans. Basic objectives for disabled students
are the same as for normal students: to fulfil their potential as much as possible and
prepare themselves for independent living after graduation from the schools. The
general curriculum consists of academic subject activities and extracurricular
activities. In addition to these general curriculum activities, rehabilitation training
activities are included in the curriculum, depending on the condition of the pupils.
Vocational training is emphasized for junior and senior high school students.
The Comprehensive Plan to Develop Special Education 2003–2007 aims to

guarantee the opportunity for special education by seeking balance among different
regions and schools tracks, improving social and physical environments in general
schools, and constructing a support system for special education grounded in the local
community. All these tasks will work towards maximization of the educational
outcome in special education within general schools.
The government has recently implemented two major policy actions regarding
education for the gifted. First, the Accelerated Grade Advancement System was
introduced in 1995 according to Article 154 of the revised Education Law, which was
enacted into Law with the approval of the National Assembly. According to this
system, at the elementary school level pupils can skip a grade once during the six year
schooling (e.g. proceed from Grade I to III, Grade II to IV, III to V, or IV to VI). At
the secondary level, again only one advancement can be made (e.g. from Grade VII to
IX or from Grade X to XII). Grade V pupils can skip one year and proceed directly to
junior high school if they are evaluated to have met the educational requirements for
graduation from an elementary school. Those students in Grade VIII or XI can skip
the last year at school and proceed directly to high schools or colleges.
Secondly, the government has incorporated proposals to reinforce education

for the gifted into the National Education Reform Proposal announced on 31 May
1995. They include various measures to ensure the kind of teaching-learning which
addresses diverse, individual needs of the learners and maximizes the development of
individual potential. In addition, they call for: the development of differentiated
curricula according to the various achievement levels of students; the early
identification of the gifted and the reinforcement of education for the gifted in diverse
areas through the development and implementation of scientific methods; the
encouragement of education for the gifted in regular and special schools to provide
appropriate education based on the psychological traits of the gifted; and the
establishment and operation of education centres at research institutes or universities.
Among 194 local offices of education throughout the country, 63 (32.47%)

provide education programmes for the gifted, which consist mainly of foreign
languages, science, mathematics and computer education. Academic records and
principals’ recommendations based on school ratings are the main criteria in selecting
the participants. The student-teacher ratio is 7:1 and the teaching-learning activities of
each programme consist of experiments, observation classes and field trips.

In 1996, twenty-five elementary schools, sixteen middle schools and four high
schools have adopted an accelerated grade policy. More schools wanted to adopt the
policy (forty-four elementary and four junior high schools in the case of Seoul) but
gave up due to parental opposition. As a result, only a small number of schools (eight
elementary and two middle schools in Seoul) implement an accelerated grade system.
Parental opposition may have arisen because the gifted students were distinguished
from the other students, pointing them out, as it were, as special and different, in a
society which traditionally does not condone such differentiation. Moreover,
accelerating some students and not others causes problems with grade point averages.
In accordance with the Law for Promotion of Education of the Gifted of 2002,
schools have identified and educated gifted, creative, and talented children in order to
produce highly competitive human resources. The Ministry of Education has striven
to support the metropolitan and provincial offices of education for promoting gifted
education geared to local circumstances in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan
in Promoting Gifted Education. The government also has a policy to increase the
number of institutions for gifted education, develop an organizational and
administrative supporting system for gifted education, establish an infra-structure for
gifted education, and develop a plan for evaluating gifted education institutions.
Private education
According to the Private School Act (1963), private schools are established to pursue
their own educational concepts and goals. Article 1 declares the “improvement of
private schools with their own specificity is to be made by securing their autonomy
and public responsibility.” Here, specificity implies the characteristics of private
schools that differentiate them from public schools, expressed in a variety of
education endeavors which would serve their own educational concepts and goals.
Autonomy refers to an autonomous selection of students and curricula, and self-
governing in school management. Public responsibility means that private schools
should be regarded as a public institution and should have public functions.
Specificity, autonomy, and public responsibility are three major characteristics of
Korean private education from a legal perspective.
However, the status of private secondary school in Korea is more of a quasi-

public school in that private middle and high schools are not allowed to select
students based on their own admission policies, and graduates from these private
schools cannot attend middle and high schools of their own choice. Secondary private
schools are supervised by the provincial office of education and the county office of
education. Tuition is also regulated by the government. The same tuition schedule is
applied to public and private secondary schools.
The current middle and high school admission policies were implemented in
order to eliminate the excessive competition among students trying to enter a higher
level of school, especially a prestigious school. However, these policies severely limit
the specificity and autonomy of private schools. In the current admission procedure, a
student is designated to a school, which can be public or private, through lottery
assignment in most large cities. Insofar as it prevents autonomous student selection, it
has become a critical obstacle to the realization of individual private schools
educational concepts and goals. It also means financial insolvency for some private

schools and a deprivation of individual students rights to choose schools as is

guaranteed by Articles 22 and 31 of the Constitution. Thus, there have been many
debates on whether to continue this policy, even though the policy seems to have been
effective in normalizing elementary and middle school education by eliminating
excessive competition and providing all citizens equal educational opportunity
regardless of socio-economic differences. In any case, further adjustments need to be
made to revitalize private secondary education.
In addition, there is no special curricular arrangement for private education at

elementary and secondary school levels. The national curriculum, developed by the
Ministry of Education and operated nationwide, applies to both public and private
education. Under these circumstances, the flexibility to offer elective courses is very
limited, and private education has been criticized because it has continuously adopted
the curricula of public school education.
With respect to responsibility, it should be noted that private education has

been largely shaped by government policies. Basically, public and private education
are regarded as equally capable of delivering education to the public. Thus, private
schools are treated on equal terms with public schools, and are supported and guided
administratively and financially by the government. In turn, private education
concentrates on nurturing social diversity by specializing in education for the gifted,
religious education, compensatory education and vocational education, none of which
are being fully served by public education. Public education, on the other hand, plays
an important role in the areas of compulsory education and education for financially
disadvantaged students.
Private institutions of higher education are also under the control of the
Ministry of Education, especially with respect to decisions on enrolment quota and
procedures of the entrance examination and admission process. Government control
has weakened the autonomy of individual institutions and has given rise to ineffective
competition rather than to constructive co-operation among higher education
institutions. Acknowledging the problem, the government announced a new policy on
college admission, to take effect in 1997. Private colleges and universities will be
granted full autonomy with respect to student admissions.
From a legal point of view, a private school is considered an individual school

foundation. A school foundation is a special kind of juridical entity, established by
law on the basis of assets provided from individual(s) or organization(s) who freely
will to establish a new school. The existence of a school foundation is the most
revealing difference in the operation between private and public schools. There are
1,113 juridical entities operating their own schools at various levels.
The methods of operating private schools are similar to those of other

countries. A school juridical foundation is required to have a board of trustees. A
board of trustees is the highest decision-making organization of a school foundation
and consists of seven to fifteen trustees. The major functions of a board of trustees are
as follows: deliberation on the resolution of the budget and the settlement of accounts,
and management of assets and liabilities; merging and liquidation of a school
foundation; appointment and dismissal of the school foundation’s staff members;
appointment and dismissal of a principal (president) and teachers (faculty members);

management of profit-generating projects; decision-making on other important issues

concerning school management.
In practice, the principal (president) and faculty members, appointed by the

board, operate the school. In addition, several other committees with various
functions, mostly consisting of faculty members, work as operational entities
responsible for managing private institutions. School personnel committees and
budget committees are typical examples.
Due to the government’s regulation on tuition fees, most private secondary

schools experience severe financial difficulties. Thus, the government has provided
subsidies to cover shortages of remuneration for secondary school teachers and
operating costs. Since 1996, all private middle schools and over 95% of private high
schools receive governmental subsidies.
However, government support to private institutions of higher education has

been very limited. Until 1993, government support was made only for the purchase of
experimental equipment or for books and the expansion of school facilities. It has
increased from 20 billion won in 1990 to 50 billion won in 1993. The government is
planning to further increase its support.
One of the key characteristics of Korean education is a high degree of

dependence on private education. As of 1996, 23.8% of middle school students and
59.0% of high school students are attending private schools. The proportions of
students attending private institutions of higher education are even greater. There are
96.5% and 75.7% of junior college and college and university students, respectively,
enrolled in private institutions. After kindergarten, the higher the school level, the
more the dependence on private education. This high level of dependence on private
education is the result of the government’s encouragement to establish private schools
at earlier stages of our national development when government budget constraints
were many and the social demand for education was great.
Considering these high levels of dependence on private education, public

responsibility for private education should be reemphasized in order to provide equal
and high quality education to all students. In other words, central and local
governments should take policy actions to increase their financial, legal, and
administrative support and minimize their intervention and control over private
schools.
Means of instruction, equipment and infrastructure

Curricula are revised on a periodical basis to reflect the emerging needs of a changing
society and the new frontiers of disciplines. Since the Republic of Korea was
established, there have been seven curriculum revisions.
The textbooks compiled within the framework of these curricula are classified
into three types. The first type is the national one being authorized by the Ministry of
Education. Most textbooks at the elementary level belong to this type. National
language (Korean), moral/civics, and national history textbooks for the secondary

level also belong to this type. The second type is inspected and approved by the
Ministry of Education. Textbooks for arts, English, mathematics, science, etc. belong
to this type. The third type is recognized as relevant and usable in schools by the
Ministry of Education or by superintendents of municipal and/or provincial
educational authorities.
Project for educational “informationization” has been put into practice since
the early 1990s: computers began to be supplied to schools at all levels, particularly to
elementary and secondary schools starting from 1992 as a preparatory step to meet the
challenges of the twenty-first century.
The economic crisis of 1998 resulted in increased number of poor and

unemployed population, thereby calling for an urgent policy to aid students from
those families. Educational aid for the low-income population included tuition support
for kindergarten education, tuition support for middle and high school education
(400,000 students in 2000), project for providing long-term, low interest loan for
university education (300,000 students in 2000), information education for children
from low-income families, and distributing personal computers to high achievement
students (expense for learning computer included).
The school lunch programme has been expanded gradually and almost all
primary and high schools have been providing school lunch since 1998 and 1999,
respectively. In case of middle schools, 57% of the schools are providing school lunch
in 2000. For students from the economically disadvantaged families, the government-
funded school free lunch programme is underway, benefiting 164,000 primary and
secondary students (approximately 2% of the total enrollment).
Due to the decrease in student number in rural schools, integration of multiple

classes or schools is unavoidable, but urban schools still have difficulty in providing
quality education due to overcrowded classrooms and over-sized schools. Elementary
schools with over 1,500 students are 1,025 in number (out of total 5,267 schools);
middle schools with over 900 students are 1,013 (out of total 2,731); and high schools
with over 900 students are 1,139 (out of total 1,957).
Adult and non-formal education

According to a national survey conducted in 1990, the rate of illiteracy in the country
is 5.8%. There is a gap in illiteracy rates between the urban and rural populations and
also between males and females.
Literacy programmes are provided by the government, the Association of

Adult Education, the Association of Korean Social Education, and the Central Office
of Reconstruction Movement. Most literacy programmes focus on elementary
education and aim to prepare the students for a completion of elementary education.
Classes are provided through workshops, lectures, group study and independent
studies. Instructors utilize MOE-provided textbooks, and other individually prepared
reference materials. The main teaching agencies use trained adult educators, school
teachers, and volunteer teachers.

There were twenty-four literacy education institutions identified in 1990 and

the number has recently increased to more than 120, most of which are voluntary
organizations or private institutions. Some institutions are very old: for example, the
Kichung Civic School operated secretly as an evening school in 1924 during Japanese
rule.
Recently, concern with community education has grown, and lifelong

education has become one of the main education reform proposals. Community
education is geared to help people understand the social system that surrounds and
affects their daily life, and make them fully aware of their rights and duties as
members of the society. Civic matters, environmental issues, consumer-related issues
and activities, political affairs, women’s issues and labour issues are the main topics
dealt with in community education. In Korea, the YMCA has provided community
education since the 1970s. It has been active in providing programmes concerned with
such issues as consumer’s rights, legal provisions related to real estate, and labour
issues. It has provided counselling services in these areas and, when necessary, staged
nationwide campaigns. Recently, forty-three civil movement organizations joined
together to form the Federal Association for Realising Social Justice, and endeavour
to bring justice to the social system and raise the level of citizen awareness. Consumer
education is taken care of by the Korea Institute for Consumer Education and the
Citizens Association for Consumers. Environmental awareness education is dealt with
by the Korea Union for Environment Movement, and the YMCA. The Korea
Association of Economic Justice, the YMCA and the YWCA are mainly concerned
with education concerning economic issues.
In addition, several types of adult and continuing education programmes are

implemented:
• University-affiliated adult and continuing education. Many universities and

colleges offer continuing education programmes for non-traditional adult
students under the slogan of “lifelong learning from the cradle to the grave.”
• School-based adult and continuing education. In the 1980s, the government

encouraged schools to expand their programmes for and share their
educational resources with the community. Most schools operate weekly, bi-
weekly, or monthly programmes such as Classes for Mothers and Classes for
Senior Citizens.
• Proprietary learning institutions. There are about 64,000 private institutes as

of 1997 and the number continues to rise. These institutes are divided into
various groups according to their fields: humanities (liberal arts and sciences),
foreign languages, technical skills, management skills, accounting, fine arts
(painting) and music.
• In-service training. There are various in-service training programmes for civil
servants and industry workers. The human resource development programme
for civil servants has been reinforced recently. In-service training programmes
for civil servants are provided by forty-six professional institutes at the
national level.

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs): A large number of NGOs are fully

engaged in adult and continuing education. Both on a nationwide scale and at
local level there are a number of voluntary non-governmental organizations
providing adult and continuing education programmes.
• Mass media. Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, video, films and

computers are different forms of media used daily for adult education. Since
the establishment of the more liberal and democratic Sixth Republic in 1988,
the public responsibility of the press has been emphasized and the role of the
press in adult education has been expanded. Many daily newspapers have
increased the number of pages that provide information on education and they
have also provided diverse programmes. The Educational Broadcasting
System (EBS) was founded in 1990 to support school education and expand
the opportunity for adult and continuing education. Recently, several cable
television stations began services in life-long education.
• Cultural institutions. Adult education is provided by various kinds of cultural

institutions such as libraries, local community centres, art galleries, exhibition
halls, cultural centres, Catholic churches, social welfare organizations, various
types of youth centres, women, the elderly, workers in varied fields, etc.
Teaching staff
T
There are three paths to becoming a certified teacher. One is to graduate from a
professional teacher training institution, such as a national four-year teacher college
like the Korea National University of Education, or a department of education in a
university, where teaching certificates are conferred upon graduation. The second path
is to take obligatory education courses in a university and obtain a teaching certificate,
which is offered to only 30% of those enrolled in the course. The third path is to
graduate from a graduate school of education.
Kindergarten teachers are normally graduates of four-year colleges, two-year

junior vocational colleges, or correspondence colleges, with a major in pre-school
education. Over 80% of all kindergarten teachers are graduates of two-year junior
vocational colleges.
Elementary school teachers graduate from four-year teacher training colleges,

which include: eleven national four-year teacher colleges; one university (the Korea
National University of Education); and the faculty of education in the Ewha Women’s
University, a private university. The eleven national teacher colleges were upgraded
from two-year to four-year institutions in 1981.
To become a certified secondary school teacher, one can choose from three
different paths. One is to graduate from a college or department of education in a
four-year university. There are sixty-four of these institutions in the country, and
about 47% of secondary school teachers certificates are granted through these
institutions (data refer to 1996). The second path is to major in a subject area
designated in the National Curriculum Framework and take required education
courses at a regular four-year university. There are 111 institutions of this type,

accounting for 46% of all pre-service institutions for secondary school teachers. The
third path is to graduate from a graduate school of education.
The curriculum in teacher training colleges consists of general and education

courses. Thirty percent of the required courses (forty-six credit hours), are general
courses. Of the general courses, there are four required courses: humanities, social
science, natural science, and physical education. The elective general courses include
humanities, language and literature, foreign language, social science, natural science
and the arts. Sixty-five percent of the general courses are required courses, and 35%
are elective courses. The education courses are composed of courses in education
theory, courses on curriculum and practice courses in the arts and physical education.
In addition to general and education courses, students have to take twenty-one credit
hours of specialization courses and practice.
The minimum amount of credit hours required to graduate from a college of

education at university is 140 credit hours. The curriculum is comprised of general
courses, specialization courses, and elective courses. General courses make up about
20% and specialization courses about 60% of the total credit hours required for
graduation. Specialization courses are composed of four parts (major subjects,
teaching methods of major subjects, general education subjects, on- site training). The
credit hours of major subjects are 38 to 40. To graduate and obtain the teacher
certificate, students should take on-site training for four to six weeks in middle high
schools.
The purpose of in-service training is to improve the professional competence

of teachers and to strengthen their commitment to the teaching profession. In-service
teacher training is offered by the National Institute for Educational Research Training,
the Comprehensive Teacher Training Institute, the School Administration Training
Institute, and teacher training institutes attached to universities and municipal and
provincial teacher training institutions.
In-service teacher training programmes are divided into five categories:

qualifications upgrading training programmes, professional enrichment training
programmes, educational administration training programmes, and special training
programmes. Qualifications upgrading training programmes are designed to prepare
selected teachers for promotion to higher ranks, structured into a hierarchy of class
two, class one, vice-principal, and principal. Selection criteria to admit teachers to
these programmes, which are offered in teacher training centres and the Korea
National University of Education, are prescribed by the Education Law. Trainees are
required to complete a minimum of 180 hours. The qualifications upgrading training
programmes are determined according to a MOE-provided guideline called the
Standard Training Procedure for In-service Training.
Professional enrichment training programmes aim to update teachers with

teaching theories and methods. The minimum hours of attendance are sixty hours.
Candidates are nominated by the superintendents of municipal and provincial school
districts. Content of professional enrichment training programmes, which are provided
by the teacher training institutions of municipal and provincial school districts, are
decided by the superintendents and the vice-superintendents of the school districts
concerned.

Educational administration training programmes are designed to enhance the

job performance of teachers with administrative positions and duties. These
programmes are operated under the direct supervision of the National Institute of
Educational Research and Training. The teacher training institutes in the municipal
and provincial school districts are also responsible for running the programme.
Special training programmes are sponsored by the Ministry of Education and local
educational authorities. The purpose is to send selected teachers to an education or
research institute in Korea or abroad for various special purposes including foreign
language and culture training.
The average annual salaries of elementary school teachers are higher than
those of government employees at class seven, but lower than those in the public
sector and private industry. The salary differences increase until the age of 40-45 and
decrease thereafter. Employees in private companies earn 14% more than elementary
school teachers to start; 22-24% more at the age of 30-40 years, 31% more at age 45,
29% more at age 50, and 15% more at age 55. A similar pattern is found with
elementary school teachers and employees in the public sector. This suggests that
mid-career teachers are the worst-off. This salary difference between teachers and
employees in the private sector has, in part, been the factor causing a higher ratio of
female to male in teaching positions than that in other occupations.
Educational research and information

Educational research in the Republic of Korea is conducted at three levels:
governmental (including provincial) institutions, semi-governmental institutions, and
university-affiliated institutions. Institutions at these three levels differ from one
another not only in funding mechanisms, but also in research focus.
Governmental research institutions are normally affiliated to the Ministry of

Education, as well as to the provincial institutions of the fifteen municipal and
provincial offices of education across the country. As affiliates of the central and
provincial units of educational administration, the main function of these educational
research institutions is to conduct research that will assist execution of their tasks.
Educational research centres affiliated with the municipal and provincial

offices of education are devoted to carrying out research concerned with the school
curriculum, teaching methods and student guidance. As the management of school
education—including the curriculum—becomes the major task and responsibility of
local autonomous bodies, individual offices of education will be charged with the
increasing need to conduct research to adapt the nationally provided guidelines to the
specific conditions and standards of their communities.
The most comprehensive research activities, both applied and theoretical, in

the field of education, are conducted by the Korean Educational Development
Institute (KEDI), a government-funded but independently run educational research-
and-development institution. Founded in 1972, its primary objectives are to develop
methods, programmes, policies and materials that can help reform Korean education.

KEDI’s research findings and recommendations usually meet with positive

responses on the part of the policy makers and help lay a firm educational
development foundation. To ensure that research findings serve their purpose, KEDI
encourages active participation of concerned authorities including policy makers,
educational practitioners, and community leaders in the research process, thereby
reflecting their opinions and perspectives as much as possible in its work. Public
hearings, conferences, seminars, and numerous discussion sessions are part of the key
research process, so that the research activities are publicized and promoted to raise
public awareness of its purpose and necessity. In this way, research activities are not
the narrow concern of the researchers involved but they are charged with a highly
professional commitment to the authorities and community involved; this intimate
collaboration in research fosters the successful and fruitful implementation of the
results.
Under the Act of Establishment, Management, and Promotion for

Government-funded Research Institutes of 1999, KEDI became more independent and
took on greater responsibility. KEDI, formerly operating under the auspices of the
Ministry of Education, is now entrusted to the Korea Council of Humanities and
Social Research Institute (HSRC) under the Office of the Prime Minister.
Compared to the research activities by the government, provincial, and semi-

governmental research institutions, university-based educational research institutions,
which constitute the final layer of the structure of the country’s educational research
institutions, conduct academically oriented research. The university affiliated research
institutions, funded by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and
Technology, often sponsor presentations and seminars that have influence at a public,
national level.
As concerns shift from quantitative to qualitative development of education,

educational research institutions recognize the need to re-define their roles. Rather
than being in the educational frontline, they now consider the role of monitoring more
appropriate.
The creation of the Centre for School Development at KEDI is an example

reflecting this new trend. Its key function is to monitor daily educational practices in
the schools and assist them in solving problem areas. With the introduction of a
monitoring role, researchers are no longer confined to their labs and offices; they are
working together with educational practitioners and administrations, assuming
assistance and consultation roles in the schools themselves.
References
Korean Council for College Education. College education in Korea. Edition 2005–
2006. Seoul, 2005.
Meesook Kim and Jung Na. Early Childhood Care and Education in Korea: National
Policies and Practices. Korean Educational Development Institute. Paper submitted to
UNESCO Beijing Office as the situational analysis study report, June 2003.

Ministry of Education. Korean Educational Development Institute. The development

of education. National report of the Republic of Korea. International Conference on
Education, 45th session, Geneva, 1996.
Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development. The development of

education. National report of the Republic of Korea. International Conference on
Education, 46th session, Geneva, 2001.
Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development. National report of the

Republic of Korea. International Conference on Education, 47th session, Geneva,
2004.
Web resources
Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development: http://www.moe.go.kr/
[In Korean and English. Last checked: October 2007.]
Korean Council for College Education: http://www.kcce.or.kr/ [In Korean and

English. Last checked: October 2007.]
Korean Council for University Education: http://www.kcue.or.kr/ [In Korean and

Korea Education and Research Information Service: http://www.keris.or.kr/ [In

Korean and English. Last checked: October 2007.]
Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training:

http://www.krivet.re.kr/ [In Korean and English. Last checked: October 2007.]
Korea Educational Development Institute: http://www.kedi.re.kr/ [In Korean and

Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation: http://www.kice.re.kr/ [In Korean and

Presidential Commission on Education Innovation: http://www.cein.go.kr/ [In Korean

and English. Last checked: October 2007.]
For updated links, consult the Web page of the International Bureau of Education of
UNESCO: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/links.htm

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World Data on Education.

6th edition, 2006/07

Principles and general objectives of education

• A person who demonstrates creativity with a solid foundation in basic

• A person who explores his or her career opportunities based on an extensive

• A person whose values are firmly grounded on a sound understanding of the

• A person, with the help of a well-established, participatory democracy, who

Current educational priorities and concerns

In the 1950s, when low-level skilled workers were needed in labour-intensive

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Some of the foundation work to build a democratic scheme of education was

The government undertook a major education reform through the Presidential

In an anticipation of the coming of the knowledge-based society in the twenty-

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

• Shift from the supplier-centered education to the learner-centered one.

• Diversification of education. Uniform and hierarchical education will be

• Shift away from educational management centered on regulation and control

• Expanded educational equity. Every citizen should be allowed to develop

• Open education that enables educational informationization and introduces

• Improvement of educational quality will be pursued through building an

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Laws and other basic regulations concerning education

• Every citizen has a right to receive an education according to his/her level of

• Elementary education is compulsory for all children.

• Elementary compulsory education should be free.

• Self-determination, professionalism, political neutrality and autonomy of

• Matters related to school and non-formal education, education finance and

A drastic change was made in the basic structure of education-related laws

This Fundamental Law of Education defines the basic elements in education

In order to strengthen lifelong education that will guide the knowledge-based

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

With the introduction of local governance in general administration, the realm

Several declarations concerning education include: the Charter for National

The Charter for National Education was announced in 1968. It is mainly

The Children’s Charter was announced in May 1957 to recognize the

The Charter of Teachers was prepared by the Korean Federation of

Private education in Korea is supported and regulated by the Private School

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Administration and management of the education system

The reorganized Ministry of Education consists of two offices (School Policy

The Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) was

A Local Office of Education, the core unit of the autonomous educational

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

To implement local educational autonomy, each municipal or provincial office

As a decision-making body, each board of education decides important

The School Council deliberates on school management matters such as the

As a Presidential consultative body, the Presidential Commission on

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Besides the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance and Economy

As a non-governmental organization, the Korean Council for University

At the secondary level, the Korean Association of Private Secondary School

Recently, many NGOs, such as parental associations and voluntary citizen

Structure and organization of the education system

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Republic of Korea: structure of the education system

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

The admission procedure to high schools in equalized areas follows certain

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Higher education institutions mainly fall into five categories: four-year