From Education to Lifelong Learning: the Case of South Korea

1
From Education to Lifelong Learning the Case of
South Korea

• Gwang-Jo Kim
• World Bank

2
Outline

• Education system
• Education and economy
• Achievements and problems
• Education reform for lifelong learning
• Conclusions

3
Country at a Glance (1)
4
Country at a Glance (2)

• Area 99.3 K Sq. Km
• Population 47.8 Million
• GNI US 477.0 Billion (per capita GNI US10,013)
  (FY02)
• GDP growth 9.3 in 2000 3 in 2001 5.8 in
  2002
• Structure of the Economy (as of GDP)
• - Agricultural 4.4
• - Industry/manufacturing 41.4
• - Services 54.1
• Unemployment 3

5
Education System

• Socio-cultural context
• Homogeneity of Korea Society Prevalence of
  Egalitarian Ideal
• Tradition of Confucianism High Regard for
  Learning Zeal for Education
• High Premium for Prestigious Colleges
• Formal Education
• Primary (6)-Middle (3)-High Schools(3)-Universitie
  s Colleges(4)
• Primary Secondary 10,165 schools, 8M students,
  341K teachers
• Universities Colleges 358 institutions, 3.3M
  students, 60K FT teachers
• Non-formal Education Training
• Public/private job training institutions
  Private tutoring institutions, adult education
  centers In-plant training institutions, etc.

6
Education FinancingPublic Resources
7
Privatization of Education
8
Initial industrialization 60smid-70s

• Education
• Expansion and upgrading of primary
  lower secondary ed.
• Emphasis on TVET (late 1960s)
• manpower planning

• Economy
• Take-off (60s)
• Heavy and chemical industries (70s)
• Top 5 Exports
• 60 Iron, Tungsten, Silk, Anthracite,
  Cuttlefish(US 79)
• 70 Textiles, Plywood, Wigs, Iron Ore,
  Electronics (US 249)

9
Accelerated industrialization mid-70s80s

• Economy
• Adjustment from imitation to innovation
  electronic industry
• Top 5 Exports
• 1980 Textiles, Electronics, Iron Steel
  Products, Footwear, Ships
• (US 1,598)

• Education
• Expansion/upgrading of upper secondary
• tertiary education
• Strengthening of TVET Vocational HS Junior
  Colleges

10
Entering Knowledge Economy 90s

• Economy
• Competitiveness,
• Knowledge-based Economy
• Top 5 Exports
• 1990 Electronics, Textiles, Footwear, Iron
  Steel Products, Ships (US 5,886)
• 2000 Semiconductor, Motor Cars, Computers,
  Ships, Petroleum Products (US 9,770)

• Education
• Quality enhancement for K-12
• Public investment in higher ed. (Brain Korea
  21)
• Lifelong Learning

11
Achievements

• GER as of 2001
• Prim. (98), Sec. (96)
• Tertiary (84)
• International assessment
• 89, 89, 96 TIMSS
• 2001 PISA
• No skill mismatch until 90s
• Contributed to industrialization
  democratization

14
Age(20-29)
12
Population
10
'95
'90
'85
AVG School Years
8
'80
'75
6
'70
Agegt50
'66
4
2
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10,000
GDP(Per Capita)
12
Problems

• School education obsessed with college-entrance
  
• Rote memorization, lack of creativity, foreign
  language
• Inordinate private cost of education (3 of GDP)
• Education exodus 4th largest among intl
  students in US
• Soaring training costs for business firm (as of
  2002) Hyundai Motor Co. (US 6 M), Samsung
  Electronics (US 6.4M)
• Deficiency of the system for LLL KE
• Low participation of adult population in LLL
• Skills gap creativeness, foreign language,
  computer skills, etc.
• Lack of incentives for both learners and
  providers

13
1997 Financial Crisis Reform

• Foreign liquidity risk and a massive IMF bailout
  package
• Macro-economic stability programs and
  restructuring
• Reprivatization of banking sector and SOEs
• Political and administrative reform
• Improvement of social safety net
• GDP growth from 5.0 in 1997 to 6.7 in 1998
• Massive lay-off, labor flexibility increase in
  part-timers
• unemployment rate 8.4 in 1999
• Cutting teachers retirement age from 65 to 62
• (30K teachers retired in 3 years)

14
Strategies for Lifelong Learning

• Curriculum reform and VTET
• Investment in e-learning
• Governance reform
• Redirecting resources

15
Curriculum Reform

• Learner-oriented curriculum
• Reduce subjects, common course up to 10th grade
• Diversify curriculum choice at 11th and 12th
  grades
• Require ICT literacy as a basic competence
• Transformation of out-dated VTET schools
• Link to tertiary and labor market
• Specialized high schools design, graphic, ICT,
  cartoon, etc.

16
Investment in e-Learning

• Worlds most comprehensive Internet network
• (NY Times, May 5)
• Initial investment by government (Info. Super
  Highway)
• Lifting monopoly and competition
• Incorporation of ICT in schools
• All 10K schools linked to Internet by 2000
  (EDUNET)
• Curriculum mandate 10 of classroom time
• ICT skill competence as requirement for HS
  graduation

17
Governance Reform

• Legal Foundation for LLL
• Delivery of Curriculum Contents through
  Technology (97)
• Legislation of Lifelong Learning Act Basis for
  Cyber Education
• New recognition system private qualification,
  Credit-Bank System
• Deregulation and Evaluation
• School Autonomy from PTA to School Council
• Stakeholder Participation Teachers Union,
  Parents Association
• Devolution Curriculum, Learning Materials, etc.
• Performance Evaluation of Local Education
  Authorities
• Coordination between Ministries Ministry of
  Education and HRD

18
Redirecting resources

• Cost-sharing bet. Central Local Government
• Local Ed. Grant Block (Formula) Grant to LEAs
  since 1991
• Center vs Local Contributions 25 to 75
• Reorienting investment priorities
• Improving ECD, prim. sec. quality class size
  reduction
• Strategic investment in tertiary ed. BK21
  Project (IT, BT, etc.)
• Participation from private sector
• 50 upper secondary, 80 tertiary
• 10 of Total Investment in ICT in Education
  since 1996

19
LLL Strategies

• Now

• Then

20
Some Results

• Credit Bank System
• 6,773 obtained BA Associate BA degrees in 2002
  (34 in 1999)
• 15 cyber univ. (35K students) since 1997
• 3 Years accomplishment of BK21
• SCI papers 3,842 (99) - 5,698(02)
• International Patent 145(99) - 174 (02)

21
Backlash

• Top-down reform Reform fatigue, sabotaging
• (teachers unions), interest grid-lock
• School failure, persistent private tutoring,
  high-stake college entrance exam
• Lack of policy coordination
• Partnership between public and private sectors

22
Conclusions

• End of state-led reform
• Coherent LLL policy framework
• Coordination, concerted approach
• Incentive-driven system and participation