By Song Rahn
No Korean has ever won a Nobel Prize in the scientific fields. Former President Kim Dae-jung is the only Korean who has ever won a Nobel Prize of any category, for his peace efforts to bring about reunification with North Korea through the “Sunshine Policy” in 2000.
On the other hand, Japanese scientists have won a total of 22 Nobel awards in physics, chemistry, and medicine over the past few decades.
The lack of scientific Nobel laureates from Korea is quite puzzling, especially considering the technological advancement of Korea since the 1980s, and the fact that Korean students rank consistently high on internationally-recognized standardized science exams.
It has long been acknowledged that Korea's education system is based on uniformity and rote memorization, which stifles creative thinking and innovative research. Furthermore, the educational environment is solely focused on obtaining high grades for university admission.
My personal observation is also that parents mainly worry only about the university's reputation rather than what their children will actually learn once in college.
As a result, Korean youth become so bogged down in exams and cram schooling that they have no time to either think about their true passions or pursue their dreams. This also affects the economy, which is suffering from a lack of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Without a doubt, change in both values and substance is needed. Adults always ask students about their dreams or future plans. However, at the same time they encourage students to study hard and get a respected job according to societal norms. Rather, they should genuinely support young people to find their true interests and passions. Importantly, the social atmosphere that forces students to enter universities has to transform.
In one episode of the TV program “Yeong jae balguldan” (Finding Genius), an elementary school girl goes to eight private institutes to study math, art, history, violin, ballet, Korean, Chinese, and English.
During the show, an educational consultant recommended her parents send her to a math academy and quit her favorite subjects, which were violin and ballet. Afterward, the girl asked her mom when she could dance ballet or play music, and her mom replied that her daughter may no longer have time to pursue those interests.
This attitude toward the arts is very regrettable, especially considering that in advanced countries, the arts are valued more or less equally with the sciences.
Yet in spite of this, even though there has been an overemphasis on math and science in Korea, the society still lags behind other advanced nations in the field of scientific research and innovation. It is therefore high time to revamp the education system. I believe in a more holistic approach to learning.
Essentially, students should be able to have flexibility in choosing what they truly want. Take for instance the International Baccalaureate, one of the most widely recognized high school diplomas in the world. To obtain it, students have to study only six subjects, three of which are taken at an advanced level.
This gives students the freedom to study their interests in more depth, be it math, chemistry, economics, history, the arts, or foreign languages, while still allowing them to obtain comprehensive knowledge of other subjects, which they study at the basic level.
Students also are encouraged to take up sports and participate in community and social development programs, and even take a gap year before entering university to volunteer or travel.
Such a flexible system is in stark contrast to the one in Korea, which forces students to learn all the core subjects relentlessly, mainly through rote memorization.
As a result, Korean students develop smarts just for taking exams. Instead, society should encourage students to think more creatively, not just study for exam answers.
Furthermore, society should help students find their individual interests to better enjoy school. Exam scores may be important for their grade point average (GPA) and for getting into university but to enjoy learning and finding one's true passions is essential to give youth a rewarding and fulfilling life. The most critical outcome of revamping the Korean education system should be that young people are allowed to become truly productive citizens for the society.
Moreover, academic elitism and ostracization of students who do not excel academically will lessen. Who knows, at the same time such an educational revamp may even produce Korean Nobel laureate scientists.
Song Rahn is a second-year student at Jeonmin Middle School. She can be reached at veechansa@hotmail.com.