Same-Same But Different
An Indo-Chinese saying, Same-Same But Different, describes education systems around the world. Goals are similar, but paths are diverse, as are the outcomes. Each country has its own set of educational values, which in turn dictates the school system focus in terms of academic excellence, teamwork, leadership, student initiative, and moral and ethical development. By looking at the differences, we can better understand the outcomes. We will look at dimensions of education in South Korea, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States of America.
Let us start with corporal punishment in schools. In South Korea, it is legal to strike children and happens frequently, but in 2010 it was banned in many schools and is not legal in international schools; the change has met with mixed feelings from teachers and administrators. Between the years of 1985–1999 in Australia, corporal punishment was banned or outlawed in public schools except the Northern Territory, and is used infrequently in private schools. In 2004, the Canadian Supreme Court outlawed corporal punishment (rubber straps across the hands, canes and paddles to the backside). It was abolished in New Zealand in 1987 and legally banned in 1990, although parents can discipline children on school grounds. In the United States, it is banned in 31 states, and legal in 19 others. Of those that still paddle, it is mostly boys on the receiving end.
Compulsory education (attendance required by law) varies as well from a low of elementary school in South Korea through grade 11 in New Zealand and Canada, and grade 12 in Australia and USA. Many students continue past the required years in each country, but a significant difference exists in dropout rates before graduating high school. There are virtually NO high school dropouts in Korea (97% graduation rate according to USA Today, Nov 18, 2008), compared to almost 23% of high school freshman drop out before graduation in the USA, 15% in New Zealand, and 17% in Canada. If a student is not doing well in one school in Korea, they are moved to another school to give them a better chance of success. Quitting is a foreign concept because Koreans believe that education is the key to a successful future and that you have few prospects for a good life without it.
Statistics can be deceiving and are when comparing hours spent in the classroom. In New Zealand, USA, Canada, and Australia, a 6–7 hour school day is normal. In Korea, the official school day is 8 hours long, then students help clean their classrooms, then 75% of middle school and older students attend 3–5 additional hours of private school (not remedial classes), then study for another 2 hours per day, as well as go to school on Saturday a few times a month. There are almost 100,000 private “after-school” schools called hagwons and parents spend up to a million South Korean Won (over 1,200 NZ dollars) or more on tuition each year, making for a large private education workforce. Students spent so much time in school and after-school education that the Minister of Education put a curfew of 10 p.m. on hagwon classes. Government employees actually raid the hagwons that run past the curfew in an effort to curb the education addiction.
Students (and their parents) who are that dedicated to learning might make the rest of us feel inferior or envious. Indeed the literacy scores are impressive. Korea is ahead in all indicators: 547 in Math compared to USA’s 493, Canada and Australia’s 533, and New Zealand’s 537; 552 in Science compared to USA’s 499, Australia and New Zealand’s 528, and Canada’s 529; and 539 in Reading compared to USA’s 500, Australia’s 515, New Zealand’s 521, and Canada’s 524 (Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, 2015).
Education has changed the percentage of people living below poverty. Canada has 9.4%, New Zealand 12%, Australia 12.8%, Korea 15%, and USA 15.1%. Of those countries, Korea has made the most significant strides to eliminate poverty by emphasizing education, but over 45% of its elderly live below the poverty line.
What do all the numbers mean in terms of lifestyle? We can answer that with more statistics. South Korea has the highest suicide rate of all OECD countries: 28.1 per 100,000, and many are young people (Washington Post, 2015). In their society, young people are obligated and expected to take care of their aging relatives. If they fail to prosper in education or employment, they cannot honor their commitment and are shamed or buckle under the pressure, so sometimes commit suicide. In addition, parents don’t want to be a hardship on their children who are not successful, so are also committing suicide to reduce the burden.
In conclusion, when a student from New Zealand or Australia fails a test, it may be a bad break, but after school, there are sports to play, friends to visit, and tomorrow is another day. But in Korea, education is intensely competitive and students are much more serious than most. Tests scores mean more than pass or fail in a class, they literally determine pass or fail in life. Education is the same-same but different…
Written by Kitty Bickford for Wooree English
