'Korea as world's role model for education'

Minister promises open debate at World Education Forum

By Jung Min-ho

Many assume that, with the power of education, Korea grew as one of the world’s richest nations in only a few decades, after being completely destroyed by a three-year war.

But such misconceptions overlook 5,000 years of Korean history and what the country accomplished in the field of education for thousands of years before the devastating Korean War, Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea said.

“We will show a bigger picture of how Korean education has evolved at the upcoming World Education Forum,” he said in an interview with The Korea Times. “Also, we are going to be honest. Visitors will see not only the excellence of Korean education but also the problems it has created along the way.”

“What we want to do is to share Korea’s experience to help other countries develop their own successful education models on the basis of their own traditions and situations.”

For the event, which will be held in Incheon from May 19 to 22, about 1,500 education authorities and experts, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Kim Jim-yong, are expected to visit the port city near Seoul.

“I think the U.N. selected Korea to host the event because it believed the country could be a role model for education for many countries in need,” Hwang said. “I have also learned that there is a strong and growing demand for our help, which got me thinking about what Korea could do for the world.”

At the request of the UNESCO, Hwang will hold a special session, titled “Education and Developing the Nation,” on the second day of the event. At the session, how a country with little natural resources could rise with the power of education will be discussed, and the results of the discussion will be reflected in the Incheon Declaration on the last day of the event.

There will be other opportunities for participants to learn about the past and the future of Korean education by visiting schools in Incheon, Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

Korea is already moving from a standardized education system to a diversified, creativity-based one with a master plan to develop information and communications technology infrastructure with one PC for every student and Internet access in all classrooms.

Technologies for the so-called “smart education” will also be displayed at the forum to give visitors an idea of what the future classrooms will look like.

Hwang said Korea’s commitment to education did not emerge overnight. According to experts, it has a much longer history. During the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), they say, passing the civil service examination administered by the royal court was already regarded as vital to social and material success.

“Koreans have always had a passion for education. What changed was the ways of teaching and learning,” Hwang said. “And they should continue to evolve.”

He said the forum will not end with the discussion of ideas. “From there, we will start building a global network for education,” he said.

Korea, one of the 20 members of the UNESCO’s Education for All Steering Committee, has extended its global reach in recent years by joining global education campaigns, including the U.N.’s Global Education First Initiative and Global Partnership for Education.

Hwang noted that Korea’s contributions to the development of the education system in other countries will continue to grow.

The forum, dubbed as the “Olympics of Education,” succeeds the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990 and the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal in 2000.

At this year’s event, participants will evaluate how 164 countries have done over the past 15 years in terms of achieving the goals set under the agenda, “Education for All,” and will set plans for the new vision for the next 15 years.

Ten NGO forums on diverse educational issues, including global citizenship education and lifelong education for all through massive open online courses, and exhibitions will be held at the event.

According to the UNESCO, just one-third of the 164 countries have achieved the six goals – expanding early childhood education, providing free primary education for all, promoting learning, increasing adult literacy, achieving gender parity and improving the quality of education.

Hwang said the Incheon Declaration will include the unaccomplished goals as well as new ones under five key themes ― the right to education, equity, inclusion, quality education and lifelong learning.