Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
1 in 5 1st graders struggles with math
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By Lee Hyo-jin
By Lee Hyo-jin
Mathematics is often considered one the most challenging subjects for students, and many tend to give up learning it in their high school years as the subject gets more advanced.
But an increasing number of students are struggling with math from a basic level, according to a recent study conducted by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE). It which found that nearly one in five first grade students at elementary school struggle with math, and don't find it interesting at all.
According to the study results obtained by Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), 19 percent of the first graders surveyed were not interested in math class or related activities, while 25.8 percent didn't even try to solve math problems that they got stuck on.
For the study, 54 homeroom teachers across the country conducted the assessment on 1,801 students between April and June this year.
In another survey conducted among 3,936 elementary school teachers by Rep. Kang and civic group World Without Worries About Private Education, 70 percent of the respondents said students seem to struggle with math due to a lack of understanding of the Korean language. They viewed the current textbooks are too complicated for children who do not know the language very well.
When allowed to choose multiple answers, over 40 percent of the teachers pointed out that there is too much text in math textbooks, while 21 percent said the current curriculum lacks a focus on providing students with a basic understanding of numbers and quantities.