Comments on: Another Kind of Textbook Revision

By: sewing

sewing — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:08:37 +0000

Okay, that has to be one of the funniest comments I’ve read in a while.

By: Arghaeri

Arghaeri — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 12:48:02 +0000

Talk about moving the goal posts, just when I get to korea looking forward to be cherished and looked after, they go and change the rules so that in the land of the male chauvanist, I can’t enjoy the benfits anymore. PS wifey I’m just horsing around!

By: Zonath

Zonath — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:39:09 +0000

Any word on when the South Korean government is going to make the huge jump of breaking up the textbook monopoly by allowing schools their choice of textbooks?

Or would that just be too much to ask?

By: sewing

sewing — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 14:42:09 +0000

Oh my god, that’s not what I meant by that at all! I was simply agreeing with you! I was not trying to be condescending—that was the furthest thing from my mind—and I’m really sorry if it came across that way.

I only threw the words in because they were in a parenthetical aside in the first paragraph that you might have missed…I miss stuff all the time when I skim through articles.

I was just trying to point out that I’d thought about what you mentioned too…the penchant in Korean pedagogy towards molding proper behaviour, in a way that all educational systems do, but perhaps not so thoroughly or blatantly as in Korea. Such an approach can be for good or for, um, not so good, but there’s still something paternalistic (or perhaps nanny-like?) about it.

I’m sorry again if what I wrote came across the wrong way, but that’s not at all what I meant by it.

By: SomeguyinKorea

SomeguyinKorea — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 07:02:16 +0000

“Someguy, your concerns are the same ones behind my use of the words “prescriptive” and “normative.”" Sorry if I’m wrong, but that sounds rather condescending. I only studied linguistics in grad school, so I couldn’t possibly understand these big ’school words’, could I? Actually, I missed the point you were making because I ignored reading the rest of your original post after reading the articled that you linked.

By: sewing

sewing — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 06:08:36 +0000

Someguy, your concerns are the same ones behind my use of the words “prescriptive” and “normative.” These are steps in the right direction, but I would agree that fostering more creativity and, at a later age, critical thinking skills would in the long run go much further towards helping to bring about meaningful, positive change—or at least laying the groundwork for it.

By: SomeguyinKorea

SomeguyinKorea — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 02:17:59 +0000

I meant to say:”Admittedly, the same can be said of any government’s educational policies. In spite of my concerns, I still feel the new changes are a step in the right direction. But, it would be nice for once to see government policy that aims at fostering freethinking and creativity. Maybe we should encourage kids to form their own opinions for once.”

By: SomeguyinKorea

SomeguyinKorea — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 02:11:04 +0000

Koreans are finally taking a pragmatic look at the realities of their own society, thus putting in question existing notions of national identity. However, it’s not uncommon for Korean educators to ignore government policy (given that a rift exists in the teacher’s lounge along the lines of ideology, resulting in the creation of two very distinct teacher’s unions, I feel that the Ministry’s ability to implement any new policies should taken with a certain grain of salt). What concerns me most is that such changes are indicative of a formal education that also serves the role of shaping the minds of our youth in a rather sinister way —some would say it aims to produce good citizens, whereas others would argue that its primary objective is create good consumers and workers. Admittedly, the same can be said of any government’s educational policies; nevertheless, I feel the new changes are a step in the right direction. But, it would be nice for once to see government policy that aims at fostering freethinking and creativity. Let the kids shape their own minds for once.

By: michael

michael — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:39:52 +0000

Good analysis–the gov’t simply encouraging more children now, as it encouraged fewer ones before, is the wrong approach I think. Since the population is concentrated in urban areas, affordable housing is a factor for families limiting their size, and entrepreneurship is not supported well enough, so labor flexibility is another issue that keeps people in urban areas and limits family size. The gov’t should help regional gov’ts develop their economies through small-business incentives so that people stay in rural areas where housing is generally cheaper and they have the room and quality of life conducive to having bigger families.

As for the Korea’s racialist mythology, that one’s going to die hard….