By Kim Bo-eun

The curriculum for elementary to high schools will be revised to strengthen ethical education in an attempt to prevent bullying.

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation said Sunday that it has drafted a proposal to modify the general curriculum for elementary and middle schools.

There will be a public hearing on the proposal at the institute today.

The draft will be finalized next month. Some revisions will be implemented at several schools starting in the second half of the year, according to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

In the draft, the purpose of education includes “developing an upright character” and having “consideration for others.”

It also includes sports as part of creative hands-on activities every term.

The stance of the ministry is that the arts and physical education provide an outlet for pent up emotions during adolescence and help to form sound relationships among peers, and therefore discourages violence.

For first and second grade in elementary schools, “developing attitudes and habits of being considerate when speaking to others, keeping in mind that what I say can hurt others” was added as an achievement goal. For fifth and sixth graders, “Not using abusive words” was supplemented.

Educational content on the issue of verbal abuse were also added to the curriculum for middle schools in which bullying is the most prevalent.

“Abusive language can harm relationships and destroy an individual’s life” and “Perceiving verbal abuse that occurs not only in face-to-face situations but also through mediums such as cellphones or the Internet, are not irrelevant to me” were some achievement goals for middle school students.

For social studies and ethics, recognizing cultural differences in a society in which diverse backgrounds co-exist as well as ways to tackle discrimination, respecting the rights of others and promoting a communal spirit, introspection and developing a sense of purpose, and ethics education on information communication were also supplemented to the curriculum.