Ministry of Education &
Human Resources Development
E d u c a t i o n Newsletter in Korea
Ministry of Education &
Human Resources Development
No.9 February 2007
The Educational Newsletter is a biannual publication that introduces recent news and
major policies of the Ministry of Education
& Human Resources Development.
Further information on the ministry and Korean education may be found at the newly
designed English website http://english.moe.go.kr.
characteristics at the City/provincial Education Office Pavilion, and take part in hands-on activities at the Experience Pavilion. There were also cultural events prepared by 64 schools, and seminars and presentations of best practices to help share depths of information and know-how on operating after-school programs.
The Experience Pavilion attracted the highest interest with its hands-on programs including science magic, invention and balloon art. Participants
also had the opportunity to experience being a TV presenter, see for themselves how after-school child care programs are actually carried out for primary students, and sit in restored after-school classes of the 1950s.
The foreign language experience corner, which offered opportunities to converse in English, Chinese and Japanese with native speakers, exploded with parents and students, reflecting keen interest for better foreign language proficiency. Various
performances were also prepared for the visitors’ enjoyment, including student group performances, B-boy dances and NANTA, a favored non- verbal percussion performance.
With the grandiose gathering, the ministry expects to give a raise to public awareness on the necessity and effectiveness of after-school programs, and activate a diversity of quality programs at schools.
The 2006 After-school Festival was held for four days from December 14 to 17 at the Daejon Trade Center in Korea.
In an attempt to enhance educational welfare, the Ministry of Education &
Human Resources Development has been working over the year to fully introduce the after-school system in all schools nationwide. The system, first initiated in 2005, has been recognized as a major means of supplementing formal school education, curbing private education expenses, and bridging
educational gaps between socioeconomic classes and regions.
The festival came as a round-up of the year’s activities and developments, providing venue to analyze the achievements of various schools, share best practices, and widen public understanding on after-school programs.
The festival opened on the 14th in the presence of over 500 participants including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Kim Shinil,
city/provincial superintendents, representatives of foreign missions in Korea, teachers, parents and students.
President Roh Moohyun of the Republic of Korea also toured the site on the second day to view recent developments, listen to future plans from officials, and encourage responsible persons.
Visitors were able to acquire outline information on the after-school scheme at the Theme Pavilion, view displays of specific programs tailored to regional
Diversified After-School Programs to Provide Best Quality Education for All
02 Diversified After-School Programs to Provide Best Quality Education for All
04 World Leaders Discuss Cooperation for HRD at Inaugural Global HR Forum
05 Korea Joins Hands with Denmark for Shared Educational Development
06 Korea Named Laureate of the 1st UNESCO Prize for Best Use of ICTs in Education
07 English Classes at School to Boost Students' Practical Conversation Skills
08 Schools Open in Hospitals for Children with Chronic Diseases
09 Future Female Scientists Develop Dreams through Mentoring Network
10 National HRD-Net Offers One-stop Search of Comprehensive Information
11 Korean Government Scholarship Program Outlined for 2007 12 Universities, Industries and Local Governments in Full
Cooperation for Regional Development
13 Think Tank Launched to Look into Northeast Asian History 14 News from Educational Institutions
C o n t e n t s
The education ministries of Korea and Denmark signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 8, 2006 to cooperate on a variety of educational issues. The signing came in time with the visit of Mr. Bertel Haarder, Danish Minister of Education, who was participating in the Global HR Forum as a keynote speaker for the opening session.
The agreement places special emphasis on promoting educational ICT, lifelong learning, adult and vocational education. In implementation, both sides agreed to facilitate the exchange
of students, faculty and educational administrators, develop innovative ideas and models such as cities of lifelong education, and share information on quality assurance and HRD.
In particular, the two sides will exchange knowledge and know-how of their respective areas of strengths.
This includes Korea’s e-Learning and HRD systems, and Denmark's lifelong, adult and vocational education policies.
By benchmarking each other in these advanced areas, the two countries seek to create synergy effects in policy planning and execution.
Korea Joins Hands with Denmark for Shared Educational Development
The Ministry of Education launched the world’s first Global Human Resources Forum on November 8~11, 2006 in Seoul, in the presence of prestigious academic and business figures from home and abroad.
Under the theme of “Global Talent, Global Prosperity,” world leaders from public and private sectors shared views on ways for the government, universities and enterprises to cooperate in developing and recruiting excellent manpower in response to this era’s “war for brains.”
The three-day forum was composed of 12 sessions, largely divided into two tracks discussing HRD from the perspectives of the industry and higher education. Keynote speakers included Professor Francys Fukuyama, a renowned scholar in international
politics, Chairman & CEO Kenichi Ohmae, a top business consultant, Professor Robert J. Barro, hailed a strong candidate for the next Nobel Prize for Economics, and Professor Thoman A Kochan, an esteemed expert of labor- management relations.
President Jean-Robert Pitte of the University of Paris IV(Sorbonne), Professor Jim Dator of the University of Hawaii, Chief Executive Peter Williams of the U.K. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, and Vice President Martti Launonen of Technopolis Plc., Finland were also among the long list of prestigious speakers.
The Forum attracted a much larger volume of participants and contributors than anticipated, reflecting the growing recognition worldwide that global
talents serve as critical building blocks for sustainable growth.
In Korea, the Government first set HRD as a core strategy for national development in 2001, and elevated the education ministry into a super-ministry to oversee the country’s human resources development. By successfully implementing two five-year national HRD plans since, Korea has been able to secure a leading position in this area within the international community.
At the forum’s opening session, Deputy Prime Minister of Education Kim Shinil congratulated the inauguration of the significant Forum, noting that “the gathering will help further solidify HRD as a national brand of Korea and enable participants to benchmark successful policies practiced in other parts of the world.”
World Leaders Discuss Cooperation for HRD at Inaugural Global HR Forum
Professor Robert J. Barro Key speakers and participants at the opening ceremony
Professor Francys Fukuyama
Professor Thoman A Kochan
English education at primary and secondary schools will place strong emphasis on readily usable English skills, according to a plan announced by the education ministry on November 3, 2006. Composed of 12 strategies, the English Education Innovation Plan aims to redesign English education in such a way as to help students acquire a certain level of English literacy, especially practical speaking skills, through formal school education, and to reduce the share of private expenditure on the subject.
The ministry's foremost scheme is to raise the capacity of teachers so that they may conduct entire classes in English. Korean English teachers will thus be required to take listening and writing exams and give class demonstrations in English for qualification. For incumbent teachers, the ministry will expand regular training programs and annually select 1,000 teachers to send abroad for intensive six-month training courses.
Second, native English assistant teachers will be placed in every Korean middle school by 2010. This will support English lecturing at schools as Korean teachers equip themselves with the ability to deliver classes in the language. The “English Program in Korea(EPIK)” will strengthen its role of recruiting qualified native teachers, under the operation of a newly established office at the National Institute for International Education
Development.
Third, the curriculum will give weight to nurturing everyday conversational English skills. In accordance, English curricular revision was notified in September 2006, and primary and secondary students will study with the new curriculum starting 2009.
Comprehensive researches are also under way through pilot operation at primary schools, in order to assess whether it is more effective to start English education from primary 1st~2nd grades, or to maintain the current beginning period of primary 3rd grade and instead extend English class hours.
At the same time, an improved English proficiency test will be introduced so as to give variation to the way English ability is assessed. The new test will be composed of speaking, listening and writing assessments, to be
taken by interested students.
Lastly, as a means of bridging the education gap and curbing private education costs, the ministry will establish English learning centers and provide permanent English experience programs for selected primary schools in rural and poor regions commencing 2007. EBS Plus 3, a satellite TV channel of the public Educational Broadcasting System, will serve as an exclusive channel that provides all students with free access to quality English education.
English Classes at School to Boost Students' Practical Conversation Skills
On January 12, 2007 at the UNESCO Headquarters, the Korean Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development and the Korea Education
& Research Information Service(KERIS) were awarded the 1st UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education.
Launched in September 2005, the special prize rewards projects and best practices of governments, institutions and individuals using ICTs to enhance learning, teaching and overall educational performance. The prize is funded by the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is awarded to two selected laureates every year.
In bid for the first prize, 35 projects from 30 countries were submitted to an independent five-member jury appointed by the UNESCO Director- General. This year’s two winners were
the “Cyber Home Learning System for Primary and Secondary Students” of the Korean education ministry and KERIS, and the “e-Degree Programme in Lapland” of Finland, which was acknowledged for its promotion of adult distance learning.
The Cyber Home Learning System for Primary and Secondary Students won high evaluation from the jury for having brought innovation to teaching- learning methods and helping bridge the digital divide, under a comprehensive educational ICT policy initiated by the Government of Korea.
As an IT powerhouse, Korea has been providing development assistance in educational ICT for developing countries since 2003, by sharing its accumulated experiences and supporting the establishment of infrastructure. For example, in 2006,
Korea provided refurbished PCs to 17 countries and invited over 800 foreign teachers to Korea to attend training programs.
In recent years, Korea has also won international recognition for its high quality e-Learning services including the cyber home learning program and online lectures on the Educational Broadcasting System. These are innovative national models for collaborative educational planning by governmental agencies, legislative bodies, educational institutions, parents and communities promoting the use of ICT both at home and at school, which have been reaping encouraging achievements in reducing information disparity and attaining the goals of Education For All.
Korea Named Laureate of the 1st UNESCO Prize for Best Use of ICTs in Education
On behalf of His Majesty the King of Bahrain, Education Minister Majed Al Noaimi confers the prize to Vice Minister of Education Jong-Seo Lee
ICT Training for Iraqi Teachers
Future Female Scientists Develop Dreams through Mentoring Network
The “Women into Science and Engineering(WISE)” program is a supportive effort to increase the number of female secondary and tertiary students pursuing degrees and careers in science, technology and engineering, through mentoring services provided by female professionals in science-related fields.
Currently 11 WISE centers are in successful operation by region.
Boram Kim, a high school student who loves math and science, has always dreamed of pursuing a career in electric engineering research, but was uncertain how to actually get herself prepared. Today, Boram has found a clear vision for the future, thanks to the mentoring of a professional arranged through the WISE program. Mihye Oh, an automobile parts researcher who had gone through similar troubles to find a path just her own, had become her mentor. “The road is wide for those who are willing to do their best,”
Mihye Oh had said. With that simple advice, Boram was able to cast away her fears and doubts. Boram now gets reading recommendation and diverse information from her mentor, which helps her deepen scientific knowledge in addition to school studies.
Sooyeon Jung has also gained advantage through the program.
Even as a science high school student, Sooyeon had often felt a lack of self- confidence, and also depression at the
prevalent social perspective that
‘women don’t have much chance to succeed as a scientist. The best they can do is to major in medical science.’
But while receiving online mentoring and attending lectures by well- established female scientists, Sooyeon found the courage and will to carry on with her dream. She is now studying mathematics at Cornell University.
WISE mentoring is also proving to be effective for the career development of female undergraduates. Professor Soyoung Sohn of Yonsei University is making good use of the mentoring fellow program to introduce the field of industrial engineering to female students and helping them develop future careers as scientists. “We are
doing a program where female science & engineering undergraduates design industrial engineering experience programs for secondary students” introduces Professor Sohn.
“This creates a two-way effect, as the mentors are able to deepen their own understanding on their majors, while helping younger students at the same time” she stresses.
In addition, the 11 WISE centers have developed special programs of their own, for example the ‘Open Laboratory’, ‘Green WISE(helping the underprivileged participate in science experiments), and the ‘Ocean Science Experience’ program. These tailored programs are winning high favor from female students and parents.
Over the year Korea has seen a great expansion of ‘schools within hospitals,’
which enables young students who are suffering from chronic diseases to continue their study while being admitted at or regularly visiting hospitals. The scheme was first introduced in 2005, when the Special Education Promotion Act was revised to include the health impaired within the boundary of special education. The number of hospital schools has since increased from eight in 2005 to 18 in 2006.
Special teachers are placed in these hospital schools for face-to-face student instruction. Classes attended are recognized as regular school attendance, helping prevent students from failing grade years. At the same
time, interaction with peers provides the health impaired with a better chance for emotional and psychological stability.
In addition, starting August 2006, the Ministry of Education is trial operating a virtual education system at these hospitals through which students learn as they wish via the internet. This resolves the problem of pre-primary to high school students all learning at the same school within a hospital. It also opens new opportunities for those with infectious diseases staying at home.
Contents are brought from the cyber home-schooling programs operated by city/provincial offices of education.
Real-time lectures enable students to study whenever and wherever they wish according to adequate academic
levels. The lack of online teachers is currently being supplemented by pre- service teachers, undergraduate mentors and volunteers. Social groups and private companies are also contributing by providing students with PCs for the virtual lectures.
An average of 220 health-impaired students per day, and 2,500 per annum, are benefiting from 18 hospital schools nationwide. The Ministry of Education plans to enlarge the number of such schools to at least 32 by 2008. At the same time, the ministry will work to expand virtual education access, secure more teachers and voluntary workers, and strengthen publicity efforts to improve public recognition on students suffering from health problems.
Schools Open in Hospitals for Children with Chronic Diseases
Mentor and mentees at the WISE Center of Ewha Womans University WISE activities at the Korea National University of Education
Programs and guidelines have been announced for the 2007 Korean Government Scholarship Program for International Students. The Government is currently receiving candidate recommendations through Korean embassies and consulates abroad.
The scholarship program, started in 1967 to cultivate excellent foreign human resources, has been inviting approximately 100 foreign students to Korea per year. Beneficiary countries and the number of invitees are decided yearly on the basis of cultural and educational agreements concluded between Korea and the partner country.
In 2006, 103 graduate students and 30 undergraduates from 46 countries were newly invited to Korea under the program, adding up to a total of 255 foreign students currently studying on government scholarships at 30 Korean universities and research institutes.
In 2007, the government intends to invite 100 graduate students and 30 undergraduates from abroad to undertake degree courses and research programs in all fields of academic study. Recipients will be provided with tuition, monthly allowance, round-trip airfare, and medical insurance costs. The scholarship duration is four years for
undergraduates, two years for master's, three years for doctoral, and six months to one year for research students. As a new development in 2007, all new-coming students will also be provided with Korean language training for up to one year.
Applicants should submit documents to the Korean Embassy or Consulate in the country of origin, within the deadline set by the embassy or consulate. Application guidelines and forms can by downloaded from the National Institute for International Education Development’s home page at http://yoohak.ied.go.kr.
Korean Government Scholarship Program Outlined for 2007
In line with the full implementation of the Second National Human Resources Development Plan(2006~2010), the Ministry of Education introduced a thoroughly revised web site in July 2006 for a comprehensive provision of HRD- related resources.
In the previous absence of an integrated internet service, various HRD policies of line ministries, statistics, research material and global trends all had to be searched from separate ministry home pages and resources.
The refurbished http://nhrd.net/ now enables internet users to view an extensive range of data in a single site visit.
A total of 7,570 new policy
documents, research studies and statistical material are provided in a reinforced DB with improved searching functions. New contents have been introduced in additional sections, including issue analysis and research institution news. Direct links also lead viewers to 630 domestic and 220 foreign HRD-related organizations, enabling a one-stop service of resourcefulness and convenience.
The 1st and 2nd National HRD plans, the HRD Committee’s yearly agendas, NHRD evaluation policies, cooperation network, etc. help viewers understand the history and current state of HRD in Korea. A separate Regional HRD section provides up-to-date information on
activities implemented at the 11 local HRD support centers across the country.
In addition, an enriched discussion and feedback channel enables viewers to open their own online discussion forums, respond to regular online surveys, and post questions and opinions with ease. The function is expected to help raise public understanding on HRD issues and induce more opinion-sharing, thus ensuring transparency in the process of formulating policies.
National HRD-Net Offers One-stop Search of Comprehensive Information
The Government of Korea launched a Northeast Asia History Foundation on September 28, 2006, imposing it with the responsibility of developing systematic researches into the history of the region and facilitating global cooperation measures to nurture sound historical consciousness.
Under the goal of establishing an accurate account of history, the foundation will conduct analytical, comprehensive and long-term researches into recurrent historical issues surrounding the region. It also seeks to raise public awareness of core historical issues, and foster cooperative research activities in and out of Korea geared at promoting peace and
prosperity across Northeast Asia.
At the inauguration ceremony, President Roh Moo-Hyun highlighted the significance of the Foundation, stressing that “When Korea, China and Japan conduct joint historical studies under a common goal and shared understanding, we will be able to reap many more meaningful outcomes than through mere bilateral works between Korea-Japan or Korea-China.”
Deputy Prime Minister Kim also delivered words of encouragement, urging the Foundation to function as a think tank for strategic studies and policy discussions that will lead to regional reconciliation.
Think Tank Launched to Look into Northeast Asian History
purpose, local universities are guided to form collaborative groups together with regional industries and local governments.
An estimation of 1.3 trillion Korean won is to be invested in the NURI project over a five-year period from 2004 to 2008. The ministry has so far provided 220 billion won in 2004, 240 billion won in 2005, and 250 billion won for 131 project teams in 2006.
Based on yearly assessments of project achievement, the ministry intends to distribute success factors to all local universities. The 2006 assessment revealed visible progress in terms of improving the educational environment of specialized fields,
enhancing student competitiveness for employment, and fostering
collaboration between universities, industries and local governments.
Initiated in 2004, the New University for Regional Innovation(NURI) project seeks to alleviate the concentration of qualified human resources in metropolitan areas, and enhance the
capacity of regional universities as driving forces for regional economic development.
The project’s main goals are to help local universities develop specialized
fields of strength, cultivate highly qualified human resources in the fields, and develop regional economy, society and culture, eventually creating a virtuous cycle. For this
Universities, Industries and Local Governments in Full Cooperation for Regional Development
Rate of faculty provision: 65.1%('04) → 77.5%('05) →82.5%('06) Rate of freshman enrollment: 96.6%('04) → 100%('05) →100%('06) Rate of graduate employment:
60.2%('04) → 66.5%('05) →68.1%('06)
Curricular revision to reflect the demands of the economy: 1,200 revisions
On-site training at major companies: 20,000 trainees Local university restructuring: reduced 12,026 student quotas Major Achievements
Institute plans to conduct the test 2~3 times per year on a regular basis, and will offer advanced level(levels 1 and 2) tests for university students and citizens starting 2007.
Mongolian High-level Officials Learn from the Korean Experience
Korea Educational Development Institute (KEDI, http://www.kedi.re.kr/)
Mongolian high-level educational policy makers attended a training program on November 4~11, 2006 in Seoul, provided by KEDI to share Korea's experiences in secondary educational policy planning, management and development.
The training session consisted of lectures on Korean secondary school curriculum, evaluation and teacher cultivation, as well as opportunities to visit a science high school, Seoul National University, the Educational Broadcasting System, high-tech industries, and major cultural sites.
New Center Established for English Education Promotion
Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE, http://www.kice.re.kr)
KICE established a new English Education Policy &
Research Center on August 20, 2006, to oversee the
formation of mid-to-long-term policies for English education development in Korea. Coordinating with the English Education Innovation Team within the education ministry, the Center offers counseling for schools that pilot operate English education from primary 1st and 2nd grades, devises ways to improve English teacher training and recruitment methods, and conducts researches on ways to evaluate English efficiency.
International e-Learning Global Consulting Service Acquires ISO 9001 Certificate
Korea Education & Research Information Service (KERIS, http://keris.or.kr)
In December 2006, KERIS attained ISO 9001 Certification on the International e-Learning Consulting Program from the British Standards Institution(BSI). The program is a part of the “e-Learning Globalization Project” of the education ministry and KERIS, aimed at developing e- Learning consulting models
that will enable the sharing of Korea’s know-how on educational ICT with the international community.
Overseas Korean Students Experience Motherland National Institute for International Education
Development(NIIED, http://yoohak.ied.go.kr)
Commemorating the 61st Anniversary of National Liberation, NIIED developed a training program for 1,000 second- and third-generation overseas Korean students per year to experience their motherland, aiming at training a total of 5,000 students by 2010. In 2006, NIIED invited 511 high school students from nine countries including Japan and Russia, and 434 university students from 29 countries including the U.S., to attend a training program composed of lectures on the Korean language, history and culture, tours to historic sites and industries.
University Research Promotion Discussed with German Rectors
Korean Council for University Education (KCUE, http://www.kcue.or.kr/)
On November 1, 2006, KCUE held a joint seminar on
"Excellence in Research and Promotion of Young Researchers" together with the German Rectors' Conference.
Ten German rectors including Dr. Margaret Wintermantel, President of Saarland University, shared views with the Korean side on ways to foster new scientists, facilitate international cooperation in research, and enhance faculty &
research capacity. KCUE and the German Rectors’
Conference also signed a MOU on academic cooperation and personnel exchange at the higher education level.
College Students Widen Global Perspectives Korean Council for College Education
(KCCE, http://kcce.or.kr/)
Since 2005, KCCE has been offering junior college students an International Internship Program to help enlarge their global experience, develop work capacity and expand opportunities for employment. In 2006, the council dispatched a total of 282 students from 39 colleges to take part in a 16-week internship program in eight countries, Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and the U.S.
Korean History Efficiency Test Launched National Institute of Korean History
(NIKH, http://kuksa.nhcc.go.kr)
The nation's first official test to assess knowledge of Korean history was launched on November 25, 2006. A total of 16,570 students and general citizens sat for the test in 27 test centers around the country, offered in four different levels from beginner(level 6) to intermediate(level 3). The
