Students learn on own initiatives

Bandoneonist Leo Jung demonstrates how to play the instrument during a workshop organized by the Benjamin School of Character Education on June
21, 2014. / Courtesy of Benjamin School of Character Education

Benjamin School helps children realize dreams

Kim Nah-ok, the principal of Benjamin School of Character Education

By Chung Hyun-chae

Alternative schools are no longer only for students failing to adjust to ordinary schools, but for those desiring to discover and achieve their dreams.

The Benjamin School of Character Education, a virtual institution established in 2014, is one of these schools. Its first batch of 27 students completed their courses on March 4.

"The school aims to nurture students to become what we call character geniuses," Principal Kim Nah-ok said in a recent interview with The Korea Times at her office in Gangnam, Seoul.

According to her, the "character genius" refers to people who feel confidence and affection for themselves, regardless of external conditions such as appearance, grade and wealth.

"The character genius can maintain a positive attitude by finding the bright side no matter how hard the situation is," Kim added.

‘Brain education'

The Benjamin School provides a one-year program — not recognized by the Ministry of Education — which is conducted online and offline. It has no school buildings where students study together.

Without the constraints of space, students from all provinces and cities around the country can apply for the school.

Six of the school's first graduates returned to ordinary schools this month to realize their dream of becoming a scientist, psychologist or even president.

The school accepted 476 new students this year.

Students plan their own schedules on a daily basis and meet teachers and a few other students living nearby in the same region once a week in order to learn "brain education," which Kim believes is one of the key elements of the Benjamin School.

"Brain education teaches students how to use their brain most effectively and thus control their temper and build good character," Kim said.

There are two methods of brain education: simple "physical exercises" that activate both left and right sections of the brain and "meditation" that can make students relax.

"Given that the brain is where all decisions and thoughts are created, those who can master their brains also can manipulate their minds," she said.

Aside from brain education, they follow their own timetables and teachers check their learning process online.

Mentor system

Another special feature of the Benjamin School is a mentor system, under which two experts in their respective fields are assigned to each student as mentors and they advise future direction for the mentees.

"While a ‘free learning semester,' an initiative pushed by the government, has allowed middle school students to spend one semester without tests to explore their future career path, the students still have limited chances to try many things," Kim said. "Benjamin is, so to speak, operating the ‘complete' free learning semester.'"

A lot of parents and students are concerned about a decline in the scholastic ability while focusing on finding aptitudes.

The principal said her school would rather help students with good grades as well, citing Ireland's "Transition Year" (TY), an optional one-year school program that can be taken in the year after finishing middle school.

Under the program, students focus on many non-academic subjects such as life skills including cooking, self-defense and driving. It also promotes personal, social, vocational and educational development of students.

"Although the parents and students in Ireland had similar worries before the TY program was implemented, it is now deemed a success and has become prevalent throughout the nation, being proven to be effective," Kim said.

According to the research conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute in Korea, students who experienced TY program were found to be superior in terms of sociality and learning initiatives compared to those who directly went on to the next stage of their education.

Self-directed learning

"Once a student sets a goal, and if it can be achieved by studying hard, he or she would naturally work hard on it," Kim said.

She pointed out that Benjamin School students are strong in self-directed learning.

"For example, if a student becomes interested in the Russian language, he or she will set out a plan to study Russian on his or her own initiative, which is different from ordinary students who are forced to study main subjects sitting in the classroom," Kim added.

"I have high expectations for Benjamin School's graduates. I believe they will prove how effective Benjamin's program is," Kim said.

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