[Jeong Gyu-yeong's Presidential Election and College Entrance⑨] Let's Create Schools Where Students Stay After School

Proposal for Revision of Elementary, Middle, and High School Curricula

Editor's NoteWe are running a series of expert contributions aimed at improving the structural problems of education in the Republic of Korea and suggesting necessary policy directions. This is a proposal from Jung Kyu-young, chairman of the nonprofit organization 'Studying Athletes, Exercising Students.' Chairman Jung studied at Stanford Graduate School in the United States and served as president of the university's fencing association. He analyzed the selection process of outstanding students from various countries overseas and the elementary, middle, and high school education curricula these students completed. Based on this, since 2008, he has been promoting an education system that combines study and exercise, as well as scholarship projects, to establish the U.S. education system and school sports system domestically. Drawing on his experience, he discusses stories worth referencing in Korea’s public education and university entrance examination systems.


☞Reference
①Speaking to the President of the Republic of Korea about Education
②The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is not a Bar Exam
③CSAT Should Be a Source of Hope and Opportunity for Students
④A Selection Method That Cultivates Students' 'HOOK' is Needed
⑤'Ummi-Che' (Music, Art, Physical Education) Education is as Important as Korean, English, and Math
⑥Reflect Character Education in University Admissions
⑦The Policy of Equalizing Middle and High School Education Should Be Abolished
⑧Teachers Should Be Freed from Civil Servant Status

Jung Kyu-young, President of the Studying Athletes Exercising Students Association

In prestigious private middle and high schools in the United Kingdom, the subjects of Ummi-Che (Music, Art, Physical Education) account for nearly 50% of the entire educational curriculum. Furthermore, the more prestigious the private high school in the United States, the more emphasis is placed on Ummi-Che education. In particular, they operate various sports teams composed of general students rather than elite athletes and participate in regional and national sports leagues. As I explained earlier, universities in the United States and the United Kingdom dominate the top ranks in global university rankings. This proves that the elementary, middle, and high school education systems in the U.S. and U.K. have evolved to align with the world’s best university admissions. I believe we should also introduce and establish this system adapted to Korean circumstances.

To achieve this, education in Korean, English, and Math (KEM) and Ummi-Che education should hold equal weight in a 1:1 ratio. Of course, there are many other important subjects besides KEM and Ummi-Che, but this time I will focus on the ratio between KEM and Ummi-Che. Simply put, if students study KEM for 10 hours a week at school, they should also be able to study Ummi-Che for 10 hours. If Korean universities actively reflect Ummi-Che in university admissions as in the U.S., and award extra points to students who demonstrate outstanding skills and notable activities in Ummi-Che fields even if they are not majors, then Ummi-Che education will naturally be emphasized in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Specifically, students should be able to learn traditional Korean music and art at school. If schools have teachers who can teach traditional instruments such as Gayageum, Geomungo, and Ajaeng, as well as traditional art, it will create jobs in traditional arts and promote popularization in this field. It would be more effective for the government to allocate the budget needed to preserve and develop traditional arts toward hiring school teachers. Additionally, schools should operate court music or orchestras as after-school extracurricular activities or regular courses, and students who wish to take art classes should be able to choose them, with an environment created for further experience and study outside class hours. Here, after-school extracurricular activities refer to advanced education sessions where interested students gather under the supervision of a major teacher who oversees the activity after regular class hours. To cultivate students’ social skills, advanced learning programs supervised by teachers majoring in related fields are also necessary.

There was a Korean student attending a high school in the United States. This student checked the location, environment, and what classes and extracurricular activities the major teachers in their areas of interest supervised, and chose a school accordingly. The student learned through YouTube that illegal immigrants often fall into blind spots of human trafficking and crime, their children do not receive proper educational benefits, and they are too easily exposed to crime. Therefore, the student wanted to study more about these social issues and learn solutions. A teacher specializing in social policy and human rights at the school became the student's 'Independent Study' supervisor, guiding them to read related papers, conduct research, and participate in internships and volunteer activities at related organizations. With the teacher’s help, the student also met university professors in related fields nearby and participated in research activities with university and graduate students on related papers. This experience led the student to apply to university with sociology as their desired major. Such cases should not be unfamiliar to Korean high school students.

If university admissions award extra points to students who achieve excellent sports results in their high schools or regional leagues, students, parents, and elementary, middle, and high schools will naturally regard physical education as equally important as KEM. I am convinced that the lack of reflection of physical education in university admissions results in side effects such as students’ health problems, weak mental strength, lack of social skills, and absence of fair play spirit and respect for rules.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, some high schools operate more than 10 school sports teams. Almost all students participate in these teams. They compete in regional leagues and national competitions. These school sports teams are the most important promotional tool for the schools and receive enthusiastic support and backing from alumni and local residents. Students who play as starters on high school sports teams have an advantage in university admissions. Instead of a 'National Sports Festival' only for elite athletes, if school sports leagues are created and nurtured regionally, it can achieve both the activation of recreational sports and local sports clubs. Who does the National Sports Festival, with empty stands and interest only from elite athletes, their parents, and sports schools, really serve? I also think it is a waste of budget to separately allocate funds for the activation of recreational sports and local sports clubs. It would be better to use the budget for hiring coaches for public education sports teams to support retired athletes’ social adaptation and vocational training.

Ultimately, it is important to correct Ummi-Che education. To reiterate, these are essential subjects equivalent to KEM.

Jung Kyu-young, Chairman of (Nonprofit) Studying Athletes, Exercising Students and CEO of Lorus Enterprise

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.