Dear editor,
I appreciate a Jan. 5 editorial, “Childrearing burden,” in which the writer considers the problems associated with the high cost of raising children in Korea.
The costs of education all over the world are a problem for governments. In Korea, the problem is compounded by parents distrusting the public education system, which drives them to supplement their children’s education with expensive private tutoring.
I have considered this problem in detail for several years and must admit that, while most people in Korea can agree on what the problems are, I have not seen many coordinated efforts at problem-solving. In a nutshell, the problem can be solved with a two-prong approach:
(1). Improve the quality of public education
(2). Make public education cheaper
There are several ways in which these twin goals could be achieved, some of which I discuss in a scenario I have written on the subject. (Please visit the Future of Education website: https://educationfuture.weebly.com/scenario.html.)
As a member of the foreign community actively promoting educational reform, I believe it is essential that Koreans consider the wide and diverse educational experiences of foreigners living here as a legitimate source from which to draw their own educational solutions.
I hope that both the English and Korean media would be instrumental in disseminating this information to improve the discourse on educational reform.
Chris Coetzee
Teacher
Bongdam High School
Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province