Education Fever in Korea

Many complain in America about schools "teaching to the test," i.e., classroom time being largely devoted to preparing students for one or another standard exam, rather than giving kids broader, experienced-based learning opportunities. But the situation in the U.S. is nothing compared to what high school seniors undergo in South Korea, where prepping for the all-important Suneung test is a national obsession. The Suneung determines stability for life—employment viability, career progress, class status, etc. It is so important to Korean society (the nation's economic rise in the last 60 years is partially attributed to the Suneung) that enormous pains are taken to ensure student performance. Police escort the students to the Suneung, planes are barred from flying overhead during the nine-hour test, and parents linger outside testing centers, worrying for their children. The real burden, however, lies on the kids themselves, who give up any semblance of life beyond grueling preparation for a year or more. Filmmaker Judy Suh follows one senior here named Bitna to see what her experiences are like: she arrives at school at 7 a.m., afterward goes to a tutoring center for hours, and later still to a rented study space to work on her own. Bitna gets home at 2 a.m. and the cycle starts again—every day of the week. Engaging and bright, Bitna nevertheless talks about her loneliness, isolation, and sense of missing out on fun. Education Fever in Korea raises important questions about whether this is what we want or need for our children to be able to compete with other nations. A thought-provoking documentary that is sure to spark discussion, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P (T. Keogh)