After working with children for a number of years I realise that without a doubt that every child is individual. From my time working in the UK, America and now Koreathis has become even more evident. I have recently arrived in Seoul to work for the BEC institute to teach students who are mostly educated in British private schools. My previous teaching experience has been in a variety of schools in theUK and it has been very interesting to see the fundamental differences not only in the culture but the educational expectations and systems.

In the UK we have a culture where generally children aspire to go the top universities and colleges.  In more recent years it seems that the government are pressing for a shift in the educational system and creating more vocational courses for students so that they can be trained in a trade and the list of UCAS courses has become extremely extensive. It appears this trend has occurred because of the oversubscription and competitiveness of top university courses and they are creating these positions to make higher education seem more accessible. With the students I have worked with in BEC I have found that Korean children aspire to attend the best schools and the Oxbridge universities. This is very clear desire and I believe this explains the determination and drive from not only the children but the parents too.

UK

When getting to know the children more I have questioned their motives and thoughts about their education and they see the 8 weeks in the summer to better their education and seek help from BEC in order to do so. Many come with areas to work on and things they want to improve and I must say it is quite refreshing to work with students who are so willing to learn from you. When asking what profession the children see themselves doing I am often greeted with ‘lawyer’,‘doctor’, ‘businessman’ and they recognise, some at the age of 10 or 11, that this is the path they want to take. I question where this motivation comes from and where their aspirations derive. Is it from their parents or do they see success as something that you achieve from achieving the highest education possible? This is where I see a difference in culture from Korea and the UK, although undoubtedly education is regarded highly universities and workplaces in the UK are beginning to ask for students to have ‘life experience’ and to have travelled and sometimes experienced and worked in different job sectors before going into their ‘dream job’.

The work ethic and strive for the highest education possible is met with competitive interviews, examinations and hours of extra study that the children endure in Korea to attend the ‘best’ schools. Their positive attitude towards education is unquestionable and the respect I receive from the children is always very high and this can be contrasted to the attitude that some English students may have towards education and teachers. I do feel that sometimes education is not always a measure of your absolute success and find that the non-academic activities you find offered in UK schools and in summer camps can offer children an escape and they can find a niche that they are good at other than just maths or science. I encourage this healthy balance and believe the benefits really help students and can help build confidence.

I look forward to the rest of the summer in Korea and building further relationships with the students and I wish them every success in their futures and know they will achieve their upmost in school and life.

Rebecca Jordan