64 Canadians volunteer to teach students in rural areas

By Na Jeong-ju

The Education Ministry said Monday it is operating an English learning program for elementary and middle school students in rural areas together with 64 native teachers from Canada.

The Canadian teachers volunteered to spend their vacation with Korean students as part of a government-arranged culture exchange program, said Oh Seok-hwan, director of the ministry’s English Education Policy Division.

The four-week program, which started on July 25, is now underway in Haenam in the country’s southwestern corner, Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, and in Busan. They are teaching language skills and global etiquette to 915 students, mostly from low-income families.

Some 140 Korean teachers are also participating in the program to exchange teaching methods with the Canadian teachers, according to the ministry.

“We prepared this program to give students in rural areas the rare opportunity to learn from native teachers. It’s a unique experience for both sides,” Oh said.

The ministry plans to expand such learning programs for rural areas in a bid to tackle the “English education divide” between large cities and rural areas. It plans to offer more opportunities to students from multicultural and low-income families.

The Canadian teachers are special guests to residents. Parents are happy about their children taking lessons from native teachers and playing with them, officials said.

In cooperation with regional education offices, the ministry plans to invite teachers from other English-speaking countries to strengthen vacation programs for schools in rural areas, Oh said.