Abstract
Shadow education has been a challenge to public education in South Korea since the 1960s. Government has responded to shadow education with various types of policy responses. The assumption on the possibility of reducing the demand mechanism led the policy to eliminate competitive high stakes examinations and even prohibit participating in shadow education. However, the policy response with this assumption has not been effective. The policy responses to the problematic symptoms had been short period prescription, which were able to bring about immediate effects. South Korean experiences suggest that we need to formulate long-term policy frameworks for developing the quality of public education in responding to shadow education.
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Notes
Basically, both enrichment and remedial strategies hold competitive aspects for attaining higher scores. However, according to the achievement level of students who belong to high performance group or low performance group, the strategy for participation of shadow education can be classified as two kinds mentioned above. As for highly performing students, their academic achievement levels are already above academic standard suggested by national curricula, and they don’t need to choose shadow education to understand contents more, but they are eager to stand at higher ranks than others of their group. That’s why they select shadow education and also this strategy is branded as “enrichment.” Contrary to situation of high performance group, students belonging to low performance group are not capable to meet academic standard and they need to learn and understand contents more. If the public school system doesn’t provide these students with appropriate remedial classes, then the only option for parents and students is shadow education. As for them, shadow education is a kind of medication for curing their conditions.
The Choiyakbowan principle, used as a leading principle in the Saemaeul Movement, refers to a strategy that aims at increasing the entire social capacity by placing a priority on support to the weakest part of a society.
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Lee, C.J., Lee, H. & Jang, HM. The history of policy responses to shadow education in South Korea: implications for the next cycle of policy responses. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 11, 97–108 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-009-9064-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-009-9064-6