Looking Deeply at a Social Problem
education (International)
Beyond the Academic Rat Race in South Korean education
By Anonymous
A couple of years ago, I watched Parasite. It depicted the life of an underclass family trying to win the rat race. It showcased the frustration and bitterness the poor feel due to their unfair circumstances. Their resentment was relatable to me since it was comparable to my frustration against how the wealthy are oblivious to the issues of the poor. The Kim family’s struggle to win the rat race also showcased how neoliberal capitalism creates an opportunity gap between the rich and the poor.
The Future Wrapped in a Plastic Bag
By Anonymous
When I was in middle school, once, my teacher asked me about my birthday to fill out some paperwork, but I did not remember it. So I had to call home to ask my mom. My teacher asked me if I was serious. Honestly, I did not know my birthday at the time simply because I just did not care about my birthday as my family never celebrated birthdays. I did not know my parents' birthdays as well. Once, when my close friend asked me about my parent's birthdays, I jokingly responded: “Well, how am I supposed to know since I did not give birth to them.” We were poor. Birthdays, holidays, and special events were like every other day.
The Dark Side of Neoliberal Education in South Korea
By Anonymous
The competition starts in kindergarten, and this brings the steady demand for early English education for children among the upper classes… These early years of education are so critical, as students are tested their English reading, writing, and listening skills through elementary school to high school, including the national exam. This is a big portion of the exam and college students are required to take TOEIC, The Test of English for International Communication, before applying for the jobs in Korea. However, not everyone has the same opportunity to learn English and attend private institution to prepare themselves before going to school.
A Deeper Look at the Chinese Educational System
By Jiaru Xia
As most of the Chinese students, I experienced the gaokao. The gaokao is held annually and lasts nine hours in two days mostly in early June, and around 10 million students in China have to take the exam. However, the top universities could just admit less than one percent of them, which renders the gaokao as he hardest and most competitive exam in the schooling. The gaokao examination leaves no room for us to be ourselves.
Is Gaokao The Last Piece of Pure Land in China?
By Hong Wang
I have been told that Gaokao is a fair stage for students competes for each other by my parents and teachers since I was a kid. In every Gaokao period, the media always shows how the schools use different kinds of high technology detecting equipment to detect phone signals and metal to avoid cheating during Gaokao. I had always believed that Gaokao is the last piece of pure land in China until I experienced Gaokao.
What Makes the Gaokao Unfair?
By Yukun
Gaokao is supposed to be set for everyone to have a similar possibility to get into top universities and get access to education with high quality. Exam integrity and fair grading of Gaokao have been highly standardized and regulated, which looks like everyone can fairly compete with each other base on their own abilities. However, the unequal education resources that people from different classes and regions have let the students have different advantages and disadvantages to Gaokao, which are usually set since they were born.
Listen to the Students’ Voice
By Dongwook Lee
When I was in high school in Korea, I literally studied almost all day, except sleeping. I woke up at 7:00 in the morning and went to school by 8:00 am. Then, school finished at 4:00 pm. And then, I had to go an academy for additional studying. After finishing it, I spent time to do assignments or study myself until close to midnight. It was truly my day life cycle during high school, and it is not only my story. A lot of Korean students go through similar experiences. I remember that it was really tough time for me. However, I couldn’t give up because I knew that I would fall behind others if I gave up studying.
Inequality in Chinese Education
By Heng Yuan
Because of the reform and development of China, the gap between different classes in Chinese society has been increasing. Education is a useful tool to break the barriers of social classes and realize social class mobility. However, in recent years, the effect of education on social class mobility is weakened. The social class of students' parents has severely affected the fairness of the education in China.
A Day in the Life of a Chinese High School Student
By Yan Luo
The school schedule looks normal, but when it combines with frequent tests and a great deal of homework, it’s hard for students to take care of both health and study. Every teacher would say that they only expect you to spend 2 hours per day to study on it, but we have six major subjects. Almost every day I was choosing if I need to finish homework first or get enough rest first. The thing is that if you don’t have enough rest, you get lost during class time, which means that you need to spend more time after class to keep up. Students in high school are like spinning tops, and what whips us is the test system. We try our best to keep up with it. We do homework during each 10 mins break and lunch break; we study for tests during less important classes like PE and art, and we sacrifice our sleep, fighting until 2 am (which is really normal for us) to keep up with the test system.
Educational Inequality in Japan
By Anonymous
Over the past three decades, we have seen a gradual increase in income inequality within Japan. The degree of inequality has risen since Japan’s economy entered a recession due to the appreciation of yen after 1986 and the decline of export profitability. However, one of the prime factors that in enabling the wealth gap is inequality of education. Neoliberalism and its focus on individualism and narrow economic interests has integrated into Japan’s educational system.