By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
More than half of parents surveyed said they supported English classes being conducted only in English, but believe that a public education too focused on English is unnecessary.
According to online education site Topia Education, 61 percent of 624 parents with children currently in middle school said they support having English-only classes, while 31 percent opposed it.
The majority said such classes will help their children learn English more effectively, which could also help them become more globalized. Only 6 percent said the method would reduce spending on private education.
However, 75 percent of respondents said they prefer such classes to be limited to the English subject. About 18 percent said they do not want these classes at all, while only 3 percent said all classes should be taught in English.
Those against the English-only classes said they are concerned with the teachers' capabilities of teaching solely in English and they are also doubtful as to whether the teaching material would be sufficient for the students. Some said they do not want the extra burden of having to provide more private lessons for their children to catch up with schools lectures.
A mere 5 percent said all classes should be run in Korean as it could result in students experiencing identity crises and also cause a decrease in the use of the Korean language.
``Many parents agree to the idea of teaching English in English, but they question whether people are ready to handle it. When it comes to conducting other subject classes in English, however, it is quite evident that we need more time,'' Kim Suk-whan, the CEO of Topia Education said.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
