SGHS Aims to Foster World-Class Talent
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Seoul Global High School (SGHS), the first international high school in the capital, is a specialized academic institute aiming to nourish well-rounded global graduates.
Lee Byung-ho, 56, principal of the school, said SGHS places priority on equipping students with scholastic aptitude, honorable character and physical strength.
``Our students will advance as far as they can in the world. Wherever they go, our graduates will be Korean ambassadors,'' Lee said in an interview with The Korea Times at his office, Thursday.
The elite school opened last March in Jongno-gu, with 154 students from across the country, except Busan, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, where similar international schools have already been established. Every student stays in a dormitory and tuition is the same as at public high schools. Additional dormitory fees amount to 55,000 won per month.
The special school runs English language immersion programs and classes are conducted in English, except for Korean language, literature and Korean history. All students are required to learn another foreign language.
This year, the school has selected 156 students out of more than 600 applicants. ``We don't merely rely on test scores in recruiting students. Our school hopefuls have to get through an intensive interview session,'' its first principal said.
The high school can enroll up to 169 students every year; 150 within capacity and 19 beyond capacity. Those who gain recommendations through middle school principals or have fluent foreign language skills can apply for special admission as can children from underprivileged families. Up to 15 foreign students may attend the school. Currently, four foreigners, from Mongolia, China, Canada and Australia, are attending, and five more foreign nationals will join next semester.
For regular admission slots, applicants have to be ranked in their school's top 10 percent in Korean, Social Studies, Science and English. The school considers applicants' GPAs, interview scores and English listening ability for admittance and receives applications in December.
The school head was proud of not only the quality of his students but also the outstanding teachers at the institute. ``I believe our teachers should have both distinguished teaching skills and good personalities. So, we put a lot of time and effort in finding excellent teachers from across the country. Our teachers have at least a masters degrees,'' Lee said. ``To hire highly qualified teachers, we have a recruitment committee consisted of college professors and education experts. They visit every school in the country and collect teachers' information.''
The school plans to hire 18 more teachers this year for a total of 45, including three foreign teachers. It aims at maintaining a ratio of no more than eight students per teacher.
As for curricula, the school stresses an individual research (IR) program to encourage students to select their own study topics and teams, helping them build creativity and self-study abilities and every student takes part in tae kwon do practice each morning.
Last year, the school succeeded in setting up a test center for the Educational Testing Service, the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization, which runs advanced placement exams and the Scholastic Aptitude Test. It is the first public school having such a test center in Korea.
Unlike international middle schools that invited severe opposition from some progressive teachers and parents, the international high school has gained more acceptance. ``Children are under compulsory education until they graduate from middle school and the establishment of special high schools is rather flexible compared to specialized middle schools,'' Lee said. ``Many parents were also worried that the elite middle schools might trigger unnecessary competition among younger children and further increase private education costs.''
There are four international schools in the country ― SGHS; Busan International High School; Incheon International High School and CheongShim International Academy. ``Being the principal of this elite school is very rewarding. I expect some 30 percent of our students to be accepted by overseas universities. I hope more students go to universities in Beijing and London and not insist on American universities,'' Lee said.
A graduate of the English Education Department of Seoul National University, Lee worked at the education ministry and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. He also served as principal of Yeoido Middle School and the Korean Education Center in Los Angeles.