By Kim Hee-soo
Parents in Korea have long worried about their child's education. When my parents were children, their parents had to focus on the necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter. They grew up in a generation concerned with sustenance living.
For them, attending college or university was nothing more than a waste of money and only the fulfillment of another rich family's story.
Although they had a great desire to learn, they were forced to give up their hopes and firmly pledge to sustain the survival of their family. Consequently, these life experiences shifted the psyche of this generation to such an extent that they would never force their children to live under those same harsh living conditions.
As a result, parents have realized that the only way to improve their children's lives is through higher education. The necessity for higher education forces today's parents to enroll their children in private institutions. Despite the costs and heavy financial burden, parents believe private education is worth the sacrifice.
The general consensus of parents is that the more intensive education a child can amass, the more successful that child can be economically and socially. Unfortunately, Korean parents have taken this concept of education to extremes. Parents attempt to live vicariously through the success of their children.
Therefore, any suffering or sacrifice they put their children through is considered worth the temporary pain. The role of education in the lives of Korean-American parents is a direct by-product of this Korean mentality of sacrificing for the benefit of the family's name. The result of this focus on education is directly parallel with the consistent rise in private institutions such as after-school programs and college entrance academies, particularly in heavily populated Korean areas. Consequently, the great increase in the number of private institutions has led to the formation of both positive and negative view points on ``over-education.’’
As summer vacation approaches in Los Angeles, a plethora of private academies' advertisements, with its primary target being Korean-American parents, can be seen in many local Korean newspapers. Private education seems to thrive during the summer months, particularly to address non-school related needs such as the Standardized Assessment Test (SAT) and the Korean language school, especially with the focus of college admissions on other skills and extracurricular activities.
Usually, standardized education for a regular school year is composed of two semesters. The majority of American students enjoy their three-month summer break. Despite this, Korean-American parents force their children to attend either summer school or some other private institution during this time.
For Korean-Americans, enrolling their children in an educational institute of any kind is the most convenient method by which not only to keep their children busy but also to prevent their children from being home alone or around negative societal influences, which is now the norm for the average American family.
In contrast, Korean-American parents have drawn rampant criticism, particularly from the non-Korean majority for their incessant pressure to live vicariously through their children. These parents would do anything to keep their children busy with classes both inside and outside of school, without any concern for their children's emotional health.
Recently, an 18-year-old female student pretended to be enrolled at Stanford University, living in the dorms and even attending classes. By ``attending'' classes, she was fulfilling her parents' expectations of going to one of the most prestigious universities in the world. As a result, this news forced Korean-American parents not only to reexamine the reasons for pressuring their children but also to objectively reexamine the negative criticism from the public.
Parents say that their overbearing pressure on their children is a sign of love. However, they are completely unaware of the negative emotional effect this pressure has on their children. Furthermore, it will influence the potential behavior of their children's children. This generational gap not only needs to end, but the first generation of Korean parents needs to understand and adapt to our modern culture.
Kim Hee-soo is a computer engineering major at Chosun University in Gwangju City.