By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

U.S. President Barack Obama praised Korean parents for their enthusiasm in providing an excellent education to their children at the launch of the ``Educate to Innovate'' campaign at the White House, Monday.

``I just want to mention the importance not only of students but also of parents,'' Obama said as he mentioned talks he had with President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul last Thursday. ``He said even if somebody is dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education.''

Obama visited South Korea as part of his nine-day Asian tour that also brought him to China, Japan and Singapore.

When asked what difficulties he was having in improving his education policy, Lee answered, ``The biggest challenge that I have is that parents are too demanding,'' Obama said.

He said that the U.S. should take a lesson from Korean parents' insistence on excellence in schools.

The U.S. President also spoke highly of the Lee administration's initiative to improve English skills among young children. He quoted Lee as saying, ``I've had to import thousands of foreign teachers because they're all insisting that Korean children have to learn English in elementary school,'' referring to the parents.

China also has shown a strong interest in education, Obama added.

Obama cited Han Zheng, mayor of Shanghai, as saying, ``We don't have problems recruiting teachers because teaching is so revered, and the pay scales for teachers are actually comparable to doctors and other professionals.''

He said the U.S. should make more efforts to inspire and educate its new generation.

``That gives you a sense of what's happening around the world. There is a hunger for knowledge, an insistence on excellence, a reverence for science and math and technology and learning,'' he said. ``That used to be what we were about. That's what we're going to be about again.''

Obama previously touted Korea's education last March.

He called for the U.S. to look into adopting Korea's longer school days and after-school programs as a solution to improving its education system.

``Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea every year. That's no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy,'' Obama said.

``That's why I am calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time ― whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need them,'' he said.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr