@Upset You also need to develop social skills. Life does not end after University. You need to be able to communicate well with peers and relate to them in order to work with and for other people. More importantly, you need people you can trust in and rely on when life becomes more than you can handle. While many of the friends you make in high school won't follow you throughout the rest of your life, the social skills you build with them and the memories you make with them will. As with all things, there is a balance between academics and social life.
Really admire the 3 kids of Wales who agreed to participate in this experiment , they went in knowing its difficult , living in a different nation , different culture & putting up long hours , it was really moving when they all said good bye .. at the end of the day , let the kids thrive , pursue their passions & live their dreams .. not their parents .
Sounds like your mom made a good & really wise choice for both you and your brother. I'm an Asian-American (Filipino-American) mom of 2 homeschooled, Eurasian kids.
@@athena4658 As an Asia ,there are some ppl play hockey here. For example Wirasinee Rattananai or nickname Namtan is Thai Ice hockey player, who won the Asian Championship 2019. Besides that she’s also being an actress.
The routine in this video is not just for the private rich schools. Even though I went to a public high school known for poor education performance in my town, I had a similar schedule with them. I remember teachers sometimes told us to make sure that your classmates are not just friends, but your competitors. I bet most Koreans have heard it in their life. That’s how toxic it is😅
It is toxic. In my community it's the opposite, however our culture is different. My parents always raised me to view my classmates as competitors. Right now I'm in university and even tho I love the friends I made, I still view them as competition since we're in the same field. As much as I help them, I always strive to do better than them
competition isnt bad. it allows students to give their best just like in sports competiotion. Oh capatislm system also works that way thats why its the best
Not true, it´s the same everywhere. But since these kids live in very different culture. They learn the respect and this behavior since they are born. They are stripped of they´re personality a lot, beggining the prime school at the age of three by the uniforms and they are wearing them for the whole day. They sit and repeat after teacher, same hair, same shoes, same glasses, same everything. Also there are collective punishments if one kid misbehave or doesn´t know something, the whole class is punished. I Japan, when kid has naturaly brown hair, parents need to color it black, or get doctors signed paper, it´s natural, not a color. Girls can only wear white undies and they do control it. This is why so many young people are killing themselves, leaving the country, never have kids. Adults are expected to live to work, not to work to live. They still have better rights than workers in USA, I mean even in India people get maternity leave and paid sick leave. But all this starts at home and at the crib of the child.
@@istoppedlaughing5225 can agree, schooled in Asia and the kids were something else😂 still very friendly people though and can be very welcoming when they want🫶🏾
That much studying is too much. There is no balance, it is completely focused on academics. Paying so much for education. The Korean girl is very nice to the blonde girl when she was tired and not used to the schedule. The kids do not get enough sleep.
I think it's something difficult to change as Asian countries even in the SEA, they are top notch. Asians are already built that way as i come from South East Asia school system, i experienced it first hand and graduated. I think people other than Asians find it ridiculous cause they are more socially involved in school😂 Asians have that study is study and no in between during school!
As someone who plays piano there is no telling between them who is actually better. The Asian kid played upside down but that's just a (very cool) party trick. It doesn't mean he's actually better lol
@@hanjis5894 True, you can get really good at rehearsing pieces you learned, but it doesn’t mean you can improvise/make your own music. It’s like comparing drawing realistic from reference vs drawing from imagination. Being good at one doesn’t directly translate to also being good at the other.
@@DelectableDays This is true but it’s not even about that. It’s just that the stuff he played was pretty simple so the upside down playing doesn’t reveal much about his usual technical abilities.
Even if that is true, that is not the point of studying music. Music is not a competition, it is art, and there are many ways to become excellent in it. If you play an instrument, don't give up because others are better than you, strive to be better than yourself! You can do it! :))
As a Singaporean I'll put this out here. Although Asian education systems are generally stricter, Korea is notoriously high on the stricter end alongside China. Here in SG our government is starting to move away from the flat competition and creating a more balanced learning environment. (They removed mid-year examinations and are changing grading and subject selection systems to make it less stringent). Yes we have to get there by early morning and end by near evening, yes we have mandatory co-curriculars and yes our parents often send us through multiple tuitions and sometimes extra side classes like music. But no, definitely not as strict. We still have one day every fortnight where we can work from home (It's called home-based learning) and generally there is more awareness of being less of an academic robot and slaving away at grades and instead growing more holistically.
Still strict asf and unethical to subject kids to such an education system. Most people do not need higher education, or really any education beyond basic reading, writing, and mathematics which can be learned by age 14.
@OpenBorders4isengard still, education is important and keeps us disciplined. As a singaporean myself, our education system isn't as tough as South korea or China. I'm glad that the government is trying to make education funner.
@@DelectableDayswhere is the respect for kids to put them through any of these cruel systems smh… children need to sleep and play as well as learn. Children don’t deserve to be stressed
I am korean and I think this frantic race for education might be due to lack of resource and rapid economic growth. The college entrance rate is about 70% in Korea and education is pretty much related to survival. It is perceived that which school you go to pretty much determines your life. But the problem is that Korean students are adjusted to get high scores in entrance exam which always have “answers”. This really makes students become test taking machines rather than learning what is useful to life. It is deteriorating the diversity and creativity. The education system is screwed but the students have to study for their survival in that system.
@@MyFirstHandle well maybe I made a too rigid statement. But I think it is related to survival in personal scale. Like India as well. If they don’t go to good schools the wage gap is enormous. They even have a city only for training students to get into good schools. Also for China it hasn’t been long since they started becoming rich. They also had rapid growth of economy as well. Education for them is also the only way to climb up the ladder. But because their education is also focusing on answers and lining the students up, their education also do lack of diversity.
@@MyFirstHandle You do need to remember that Chinese youth unemployment is at around 20%, undergraduates at 15% and those with post grads at 10-12% . It was on Chinese national news and all over Chinese social media, when it was reported that a third of new employees at a tobacco factory have at least a postgrad degree. There is not enough resources for everyone.
I’m glad to be born in Sweden. Free education? Yes. I even get paid to go to school. We learn a lot in many different subjects and there is not a big test that decides ur whole future. The lunch is free and if u need extra support in school u can get it!
In Korea, the lunch for the student is free, too, and school supplies for the elementary school students, 80 % of the necessary supplies are offered by the school.
It is a risk taking system. South korea was very poor and they believe that education is the key out of poverty. They have made Samsung and other large korean companies. There GDP is actually very high. They have of the fastest internet speeds.
as a japanese growing up in Australia I always enjoy the less stressful schooldays during my childhood and now that I have lived and work in Asia, I always feel so sorry for the kids there where they hardly have time to relax or play sports and games, I seriously do not want my kids to be growing up in countries like singapoirre and many part of Asia, I think there are more things to growing ups and in life than treating kids like academic robots, I always find many asian kids might be bright in academic but they also lack many things I have seen in the kids in western countries. perhaps we should learn from each others and create a effective and more relax on our education system, after all not all kids are good at academic and that doesn't mean that they will end up less successful, can we explore every kids individuality and give them some time and fun to be. kids!
"perhaps we should learn from each others and create a effective and more relax on our education system, after all not all kids are good at academic and that doesn't mean that they will end up less successful, can we explore every kids individuality and give them some time and fun to be. kids!" Interesting. In what way does this reflect your idea that you are learning from one another? If you want to reflect the idea of exchanging ideas, then we in the West should also think about increasing the expectations we have from our current students, having higher academic expectations, more rigorous standards, higher respect for the teaching profession, etc. I am a Korean Canadian who grew up in Korea during my formative years, and whilst I certainly don't want my children raised in Asia, as teacher, I also think there are HUGE gaps in Western education system for whose solutions we need to look outside the insularity of western superiority.
You both said same thing,it's just you both dislike your own country's education. I think from currently available systems, (although it's also not perfect) the best education programs /systems are in some European countries. So, somewhere in the middle ground between US and Asia. Have both these things, respect, high expectations, but also camaraderie, free time, etc.
As a former teacher from an underperforming gudeung hakkyo (high school) in Gyeongi Province, I can confidently say that the school featured in this video is not representative of all Korean high schools with respect to student learning and performance outcomes. The brutal schedule however, is representative. My students used to be in school till 11pm if they were preparing for the national uni entrance exam.
Chinese here, with a very similar routine and perhaps even more pressure due to a significantly larger population in China. The year before the GaoKao (college entrance exam), we would start our day at 6:30 am with a morning workshop for either Chinese or English, as that time was considered optimal for better memory. We spent the entire day at school, followed by a late-night independent study and review session lasting two hours, starting at 9 pm. After the day finally concluded, we had to finish washing up within 30 minutes and then head to bed. Teaching assistants would patrol to ensure no one was still awake and goofing around, and you definitely didn't want to mess with them. 😂Those three years in high school were a nightmare, and even just writing this comment brings back feelings of depression.😅
@@klaraix1058 don't be, its normal, its not something to be sorry about, if you want a good life, you gotta work for it, in competitive economies such as East and South East asian ones.
Maybe, but it is also important to enjoy your youth, have fun and sleep as many hours as you should because youth is not forever. Pd:Sorry if it's written wrong (I don't know English) I'm using the translator 😅(◍•ᴗ•◍)❤ Al final todos vamos a morir asi que disfruten la vida aunque no sean millonarios o ricos.🥲❤
Not sure why you felt the need to mention Gen Z and introvert because it had nothing to do with your statement. I’m a black American and even I know about respect of elders being huge in the Asian community. Then again like you said you are gen z so you all have to add different things to your identity. I’m a introverted non binary cis male, b positive blood type that sometimes identifies as a cat and my pronouns are ze/zer.
It could be similar to International School, they teach english classes more than you think. A lot of koreans millenial and GenZ's can speak perfect american english. Also the parents hire americans to teach their kids english the american vernicular.
It’s honestly not that unusual I went to an international at a young age [ Japanese/Vietnamese] and have been trilingual without any accent for all three languages since
@@itsgoingtobeok-justbreathe4808 It is rather succeeding desire in order to survive in severe competition Korea Society. Korea is small world and no natural resources but a number of Population Nation.ㅜ
As an Asian, one of the main driving forces for studying and getting good grades is seeing my parents' sacrifices to pay for my education. Seeing the part where the mom prays for hours at the temple for several years, wakes up very early to prepare meals, and the dad driving a taxi 14 hours a day, 6 days a week to pay for tutor. How can I not try to do well in school when my parents are doing all these so that I can have a better future? My mom has often told me, when I was younger, that education is the best gift she can give me.
This documentary also showed me why most korean kpop fans are so passionate about their idols. When more than 60% of their time is spent on school, probably the only thing that can make them feel alive are those idols so they get obsessed about it
the welsh principal has a great idea with bringing maths teachers from korea. however, i feel korean maths teachers will need to be well prepared for western students. while most are respectful and do their work diligently, there are many who talk back, don't put in effort, have argumentative parents, etc. it's a whole different culture and if they're not prepared for it, they'll just go back home no matter what the schools may offer.
18:14 This really resonated with me as someone who grew up in Korea. Up until college, Korean students perform at an extremely high level, yet Korea produces very few world-class scientists, engineers or innovators. It's because Koreans care only about getting into a top-tier college, not about actually learning or producing something original or creative. When you have a society that cares much more about appearance and status instead of pursuing your dreams, you end up with a depressed generation of kids who don't even know what they want to do and become another layer of corporate slaves. The average student in the UK may not as smart as the average Korean student, but the smartest student in the UK is far more likely to become a world-renowned scholar/engineer/leader than the smartest student in Korea, and that's because in the UK, studying is not forced upon students who could not care less about studying. Only those who are genuinely curious to study higher level subjects do so and end up becoming the best.
What are you talking about? Every STEM professor in Korean uni have their own lab and research group. There’re a lot of world class scientists from Korea. Their research is used ini big Korean companies. People came to do their STEM masters & PhD to Korea because of those reason.
where is your citation? Many Korean scientists produce many researchers that are cited all over the world. Many innovations come from korea from cellphones to semiconductors....
What the f!!! You are clearly to narrow minded or still a kid to think this LMAO…. As a country as small as Korea… have you not heard of all their technology??? What are you on??? Lol
its a cultural difference. Western parents frequently hold high standards for their girls, but low or no standards for the boys. Hence why girls do better in school, and are now outnumbering men in college. Asian put a tremendous amount of pressure on kids starts from age 3 and through k-12 Also, traditionally speaking, Teaching was thrown onto women. It was the first career a woman could have, but still paid nothing; it was deemed an undesirable career path for men, which is why the responsibility was thrown squarely on women. Teachers, educated women from educated families, getting paid nothing is actually what started the Feminist movement in the USA, not voting rights. Nowanddays, teaching is still one of the most abused and exploited professions, along with nursing. Now nobody wants to be a teacher .
Unlike nurses , teachers are not paid well in the states and far to much responsibility is put on them. On top of that school districts are increasing out national testing before the entire curriculum , the literally only teach the content related to national and state exams . The issue is the monetization of education is crazy. Our entire education system needs to be overhauled. Every child deserves access to the good education despite your zip code or socioeconomic status .
@@amalmoallin I can’t believe that ontop of teachers not being paid well, they’re not expected to have guns in the classroom to protect them from school shooters. America smh 😭
That's not true at all. Western parents (at least in America) hold high standards for both boys and girls. The difference is girls are no longer expected to just learn how to be a wife and wait for a man to come and choose them for marriage. Women more often than not have to take care of themselves independently because marriage is no longer expected by your mid 20's (in some communities, only 26% of the men even get married at all) ...and it is common that both girls and boys move out on their own between 18-22. So, the girls are under immense pressure to be independent and the fastest and most reliable way of doing that is to get an education because many manual labor jobs are not suitable for many women, that's why they typically avoid them. Girls tend to do better in school because they often develop faster mentally than the boys once they hit puberty. Her brain has to develop faster because once she starts menstruating, the body is expecting to carry a child soon, so she needs to be able to have the mental faculties to problem solve and sufficiently/instinctively take care of a baby.
@@mariz_mariz I live in America.... Im speaking about the Standards of America, and Standards that I was raised with in my own family; I come from a family of 4 grand daughters and 1 grandson - the ONLY grandchild who did not go to college is the GRANDSON. All of the women in my family have gone to college and had careers; but the men, aside from 1 grandfather, have not. Father, Uncle, other Uncle, Other Uncle, Cousin. Not to mention HALF the men in my family are also alcoholics. And in America, Girls are Now out-preforming boys in academics, starting in primary school. And now, there is more women going to college and university than men. There IS a cultural sickness in the West where the mentality is still "boys will be boys," which has become the excuse used for everything from boys torturing and killing small animals, delinquency, sexual misconduct, toxic masculinity, and failing or dropping out of school --- not to mention overdosing on drugs at a rate that is nearly 4 TIMES HIGHER than their female counterparts. The Standards Held to Women are Higher Across the Board. And it needs to Stop. The Standards Should be EQUAL.
Me over here at 9 watching UA-cam while there are students studying until 12… I genuinely have so much respect for these students, it’s amazing how they can study for hours
Education is the most important thing these days, but this is a bit extreme. Human body needs to rest The amount of suicides and people shutting themselves inside of their own minds, loosing themselves in games and anime and manga, specially in these Asian countries, proves that they are overwhelmed.
trust me if you have kids dont make them study in Asia just ridiculous ! I am a japanese growing up in Australia and have worked in many part of Asia , I am glad I am single and dont have children cause if I do I wont want them to go to the school in many part of Asia. I think its just a matter of time that the western countries will face similar pressure form Asia, cant we draw a balance and let the kinds have some downtime after school instead of making them have extra tuition after school and weekends! ridiculous asian school system!
@@sebastiank9175 "cant we draw a balance and let the kinds have some downtime after school " you can if you send them to trade school. Don't plan for universities because acceptance is limited and people will try to compete for that. Its just a natural thing.
Education is important just to end up doing jobs that are completely unrelated to purpose of life and existence, besides meeting survival demands. I mean world's richest man may die at 80 and world's poorest man may also die at 80. So, all the education should do something to widen the gap as education equates directly to money rather than survival skills.
Education IS important, and I mean both formal and informal education. Also, education doesn't equate learning. I hope more people will become life-long learners and not just learning for the sake of passing exams. Those are superficial objectives whose benefits are rather short term.
Having a child in Korea sounds super stressful because you've already spent so much time getting education to do your dream and now you have a child and you have to work harder and you have much time for your dream.
hence why not a lot of people now are having kids there and or choosing to improving their career instead of having kids, I mean look at Japan. I've seen a video where a korean hagwan teacher chose to have his kids study in Australia cuz he knows what's up with the korean school system :(
I got a PhD at the University of Wisconsin. The Asian students put in at least double the amount of study time that the Anglo students did, and that's no exaggeration. So it isn't exactly a mystery why they do better.
I don't think we in the US should completely change our schooling system to be competitive with Asians, but we can borrow some ideas from them. Such as respect for the elderly and the teacher. Next setting higher expectations for our kids. We can start there first and see how things go. We also, need to make our streets safe, so that kids can feel safe walking around at night and can enter a restaurant with being attacked. (San Francisco)
Safe streets yes. I’m from Europe and have walked to school alone or with friends since I was 6 years old. But the main problem is the super expensive colleges and that (from what I know) it greatly depends on where you live and thus what school you go to since the quality varies greatly. You need to make sure teachers are held in higher regard (esp by parents. The children will follow that) and the quality is good And don’t force everyone to go to college. Alternative options need to be good as well. (Non university education, eg vocational school that still allows for opportunities in their life). Oh and standard testing is horrible. That’s where I would start…. Esp college prices. Bc that creates a ton of inequality. And quality
Tbh you can't ask the kids to be blindly respectful to elders coz the US had created TOO MANY PERVERT ELDERS!! American male elders CAN NOT BE TRUSTED! 95% of them! If you have any baby girl you better be cautious, or you'll be really really sorry!
"borrow ideas from them such as respect for elders and teachers.." You have to excuse my ignorance if my impending comment might seem to embody it. So I grew up having been taught that anyone who is older than you (doesn't have to be a senior citizen), you should know to respect in any way you see fit. So if I have a brother (5yrs older than me) or sister, I do not talk back or reason out aggressively. I can state my point but it should be in a manner that warrants respect. Otherwise, no older person is ever going to hear your voice with a tone that's incredibly off putting. Or acknowledge that they are older (can be honorifics--I understand that not all languages have these) and that we value some of their opinions etc.. Teachers. They are these generous individuals sharing their knowledge to us in order for us to equip ourselves when we go out to the real world. U will be shunned if u disrespect them unless there is proof that they deserve to be disrespected. It baffles me however, that you mentioned both 'normal' things to be *borrowed*. I do not assume it is bec of culture since respect is a very 'normal decent person' trait, isn't it? I just wanted to know why respect towards elderly & teachers is a thing that needs to be adapted/borrowed instead of being taught by parents themselves. I do genuinely and respectfully ask this, to understand the social dynamics (wherever u may be) and perhaps if it is stemming from a cultural aspect, isolated case, country's history, etc.
Glad a fellow American chimed in. Note how the current discourse about education in America feels that the reason we score low on reading and math internationally is because we are now talking too much about lgbt issues or CRT. The people who make those kinds of comments are some damn myopic. The US has been scoring low for DECADES and we aren’t asking the right questions why or if it even really matters. Why can’t we just accept that we have a different culture in our country and that it’s no totally terrible. For example, we love sports in the US and encourage boys and girls to play a lot. That sort of thing doesn’t happen as much in Asia. After all, you can’t spend hours on little league AND doing math and music tutoring. You kinda have to choose. At least most parents do for the shear fact that they can’t afford to pay for everything
as an indonesian, i can relate to some of the routines korean students go through, like tutors and lessons, but i am grateful that as an indonesian student, there are still balance between study, socializing, and organizational activities that are really being encouraged in indonesia, which I think the korean education system lacks that of encouraging organization and social life lessons that can really be helpful for their future in society. After watching this video, it makes me feel really lucky to have gone to a good school that regconises student's need not just in academics, but also life lessons and have teacher with the same amount of respect to their students. Still..kudos to all korean students
@@Myth-of-sisyphus Lmaoo, she was just stating her opinions about the korean education system, you dont have to be so pressed/mad/hateful about it 😭 just incase you deleted your comment (this is what you commented): "grateful to be mediocre? indonesia doesn't even qualify as a competitor to east asians in the world stage."
@@Myth-of-sisyphus oh dear Jimmy, Indonesia is one big country while it is true that our education is mostly lacking to accommodate the diverse and wide range of population,some privileged families can afford quality education for their children. Cities like Jakarta and Surabaya is home to one of the best private and international schools.
I think people have to understand where these strict and almost crazy education standards come from originally. Korea's been a country that's been attacked all its life. There are always powerful nations that attack Korea at some point in History. And to turn the ruins of a country after a war to an economic powerhouse is no easy feat. Competitiveness and the concept of efficiency has benefited Korea to grow and build itself back. Especially in a small country with a big population like Korea, you need to stand out somehow and that's why education is so important to Koreans. I don't think it would be easy to ged rid of the customs and the way of life, especially when Koreans are so accustomed to social burdens and the need to be the best. I think the hardships of the war and the hardened mindset has continued to this day; wanting comfort and a sort of stability in the midst of the current situation. So yeah. Just my thoughts. I'm not supporting the harsh education system in Korea, but what I'm trying to say is I can see where it came from and why we would change this rigid society.
Standard of living in Korea is not very good . Korea is more like a third world country than a developed country . Wages and salary are relatively low and cost of living and housing is very expensive . It is difficult to afford Housing in Korea even with a High salary . Also , Korea has many people below the poverty line . Medical care is expensive in Korea too .
@@kingquincyonly Standard of living in Korea is not very good . Korea is more like a third world country than a developed country . Wages and salary are relatively low and cost of living and housing is very expensive . It is difficult to afford Housing in Korea even with a High salary . Also , Korea has many people below the poverty line . Medical care is expensive in Korea too .
@@bobfaam5215 I think comparing it to a third world country is an extreme stretch and I should know know because I actually come from one. However I don't disagree with the high cost of living and everything else.
Im pretty sure they were chosen based on their english proficiency. But yeah, its kinda impressive on one hand, on the other its definitly not the average student being shown there :D
I went to an ultra competitive medical college prep high school in the US where we had on average about 6 hours of homework a night. A typical day was a couple of exams, multiple term papers due, in person hospital work, and practical exams for our medical classes. It was extremely difficult as it was meant to prepare us for actual medical school. The school made a sport out of us competing with our fellow students. When we could get our quarterly rankings, kids would literally be crying in the halls if they weren't top 10%, so to some degree I understand this South Korean work ethic, but I also know as compared to friends in other schools I missed out a lot on social aspects of school. We really did not have any sports and extra curriculars were all academic based like health and math competitions, and clubs that basically were for college resume purposes.
wait, do you go to debakey high school? I got accepted and rescinded my application last minute to opt for the neighborhood school, best decision I ever made. Most transfers to my school are actually my old middle school friends who decided to go there
@@jaydehy I did, this was a while back. They have since moved to their new campus and I'm sure a lot has changed since when I went that I can't speak to now. Where did you end up going?
That’s ridiculous. So much for being a well rounded person with interests outside academics. I would imagine there are miserable and totally burned out people by their thirties.
@@Xrager101xand your response shows the different cultural values we have in the West vs Asia. Of course, they are going to produce more engineers than us with that kind of work ethic so why do we complain so much, at least in the USA, how our schools suck and are kids are dumb when we aren’t willing to accept that we don’t value education the same way Asians do?
Hoping for better grades doesn't need more studying. You can go to a church and pray. That's hope. If you studied harder and are satisfied that you've put in more effort, then you should EXPECT better grades, yeah?
Same. I believe homework is punishment and should not be given at all. I'd love it more if we had a more effective curriculum and better teachers, that would be much more effective in students studying than homework, but sadly our country sucks when it comes to education and they put the responsibility of studying on the kids, not the adult who should know these stuff already
There needs to be a balance. Kids have the ability to learn far more than adults. When starting young and learning the foundation + is actually a good thing. Balance is definitely key. Burn out and suicide is not the answer. Ignorance and illiterate isn't it either.
The public education system in most countries is completely barbaric, sadistic even, if you really understand how dumbfoundingly inefficient it is. The other reason school hours match a 40hr work week is to justify giving 40hrs of work to an entire class of rent-seekers built around the farce i.e. “teachers”, particularly women. Literally make-work jobs. These people are some of the most entitled, narcissistic, snotty, and unpleasant Karens I’ve ever seen in my life. If you wanted an ethical and prosperous education system, you’d have fire 50% of the teachers right off the bat, but probably many more.
this was an excellent documentary! very well made, well done! thank you to everyone who worked on it and especially the 6 students who accepted to be filmed throughout this experience, i learned a lot!
Honestly this is a dream come true to me, I wish I was able to go to these schools and study. I love learning but in America teachers are very different. Korea seems to have teachers that love teaching, that’s all I want.
The problem with teaching in America is teaching is only 20% of what a teacher has to do in a day. They are loaded with meetings, and useless paperwork , dealing with terrible behavior, etc…. All teachers I know would love to just teach and get creative with it.
There was notably zero bad behaviour either in the classroom, the library, or on the streets. These children would be successful even if their schooldays were equal to those in North America.
If USA teachers had the parental support that Korean parents give, it would be fantastic for the teacher AND the students! Many USA parents do NOT have the expectations for their children that they should when it comes to education.
YUP in Asia being a teacher is like every parents dreams for their kids other than doctor or lawyers. Being a teacher means that you will be respected for your whole life. Stable jobs and a lot of holidays. In my family we have 10 teachers, my uncle, my dad, my aunt, my cousins...etc...LMAO. Lot of Holiday and family times since childhood and great benefits xD
I watched this in grade 6 in 2019, I’m now in grade 10 and still cannot believe the work ethic… and the long hours they push for, but nevertheless a very motivating video! ❤️ From SA 🇿🇦
28:40 This area is right outside my home and when parents sign their children up for hakwons there’s a massive line of parents, some even in camping chairs that stretch out for meters! It’s crazy how the education system has come so far for children to achieve social mobility in society. Parents believe that going to a prestigious university will set them on the path of a successful life, when in reality it’s actually very difficult to achieve that in modern society.
you are delusional, its obvious that a person who is from a prestigious university in Asian Countries will be handpicked by industrial giants because getting into that UNI reflects their potential.
I remember watching this video at school during an english lesson thinking ”Damn, and I thought our days could be tiring’ hehe. The work ethic is impressive!
You don't want your kids to study as crazy as Asian kids. In Korea, it's very common for a 6-year-old kid to go to different kind of institutions for learning after regular school hour until 9 P.M. Not to mention high school students.
I just realise when I was in kindergarten, I had to go to school from 7am to 6pm. But we at least had nap times and a few playing sessions here and there. I’m sort of grateful that I don’t have the Korean, Japanese and Chinese Education system. The Singapore Education seems less stress than this. 😅
Life is not all about studying and achieving academically. It's still important to enjoy life based on your choice, free will and at the same time know how to be responsible enough on the actions or decision you made. Life is too short to bury yourself studying and not enjoying it at the same time.
Not unless you’re in a country that allows for people without diplomas to work in higher paying jobs. If you don’t get at least a bachelor’s degree in a country like South Korea you’re guaranteed to do minimum wage jobs.
I won't say Asian can score academically, but it just because they are being indoctrinated to complete a lot of exercises and exam questions. Therefore, the designated exam patterns and problem solving can be trained periodically. If the western kids are being exposed in such environment, they can excel too. The advantage of Asian education is the fundamental knowledge of the student is high. However, the lack of creativity and critical thinking skills can be seen as well. If you twist the question or change it into a whole different scenario, we will be confused at first, and not able to perform like the western kids do. Sometimes I do admire the western education. In my opinion, I think that the combination of both styles can be beneficial for the students in the long run.😄😄
My question is, if you are indoctrinated for years and years and years. What is the advantage for the individual itself? There are more benefits for the society and government, for them it is money. That is the capitalistic system. The government and society want profit and indoctrinated students are the perfect fit for.
It depends. Here in the Philippines, at least during my time (late 80s to early 2000s), our education system was balanced between South Korea and Wales, if we are going to use what was shown in the documentary. So, we don't “lack creativity and critical thinking skills”, and have no problems if “you twist the question or change it into a whole different scenario”. The Philippines, being the melting pot of the East and the West, created a lot of balanced things, and education is one such area. Again, this is during my time as a student, I can't speak for the current education system.
You mentioned "However, the lack of creativity and critical thinking skills can be seen as well.". Where and how did you see their lack of creativity and critical thinking? Can you support your claim or just BS?
@@malakatan3235 IQ is not related tho. You can have a child that never attended school with a genius IQ and a Korean child that studies 24/7 with average BUT there are probably more above average Korean students than in other countries. That's only because they worked their brains and it is possible to get a higher IQ with practice
18:14 This really resonated with me as someone who grew up in Korea. Up until college, Korean students perform at an extremely high level, yet Korea produces very few world-class scientists, engineers or innovators. It's because Koreans care only about getting into a top-tier college, not about actually learning or producing something original or creative. When you have a society that cares much more about appearance and status instead of pursuing your dreams, you end up with a depressed generation of kids who don't even know what they want to do and become another layer of corporate slaves. The average student in the UK may not as smart as the average Korean student, but the smartest student in the UK is far more likely to become a world-renowned scholar/engineer/leader than the smartest student in Korea, and that's because in the UK, studying is not forced upon students who could not care less about studying. Only those who are genuinely curious to study higher level subjects do so and end up becoming the best.
In my country we have that too! If kids for example get in trouble, the teachers will get hold of those phones whatever time they want.. Last time my friend has her phone taken away and she was able to get it after i belive 2-3 months for accidentally sleeping in class... It was terrible her parents got mad at her for sleeping and that she deserved it when she didn't even meant to do it she was joking about it now and made it seem like it didn't affect her that much.. But i know she was sad and depressed for those couple of months... She's addicted to coffee now hahaha
My private tutor in home told me he use to read 18 hours before the University exam and he didn’t gone to any private tutoring sessions in primary and high school and even in college now he reads Applied Chemistry in country’s no1 university
I admire how dedicated Koreans are when it comes to education. However, I am worried about the mental health of the students. This type of strategy does work, but it pushes the students to the extreme and some resort to suicide just to escape from the pressure.
in my school here in the Philippines, we only study 5 hours everyday and that is between 8-12 am. we are happy and healthy omg kekw i am actually very glad we are not as strict as the south korean education because academic stress can get pretty overwhelming and deprecating.
As a fellow Filipino, I can attest that the study hours in schools can differ depending on whether you are in Manila or a province. In Manila, it is typically around 5 hours of study, while in the province, it extends throughout the whole day. A typical school day in the province often starts from 8:00 am until 11:30 am, followed by a lunch break, and then classes resume from 1:30 pm until 4:00 pm.
As they mention the suicide rate in South Korea is highest in the industrialized world at 28.6 per 100k, which is double that of Japan. In contrast the UK has one of the lowest at 7.9 per 100k - there is a price to pay for all this competition
I would like to see a similar model of comparison done with schools in Finland, to provide a broader spectrum of information. Finnish education also has a very good reputation for excellence.
But how happy are these kids. I understand you wan't your children to perform well at school, but I wish my child would be happy and had time to spend on themselves and being young too. Life is to short to only spend in school benches, study hals or the library.
Fantastic documentary. I’m Australian but my wife is Korean and from a wealthy family in Gangnum I bought a piano and was surprised my wife could play it. It was due to her intensive education Seoul. It was like nothing to her to so good at it.
I didn’t know less than half of Welsh students continue on with high school. 😮 Also, there has to be something between the Welsh and Korean systems. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I 1000% agree with turning in phones for the school day though. 👍
School Bullying is ranked pretty high in South Korea from what I understand this may also contribute to the suicide rate. 🤔. Thank you for the research. 🙏💜
no mate, there is no such thing as bullying in here, there might be a few cases but thats all in the shows and mangas, everyone is too busy to bother others.
A lot of it has to do with parent's and student's respect for education and the teachers that provide it. Don't even get me started on the sheer lack of respect for teachers in the States. My father had parents that would send their childrens' homework back to school ripped up with notes attached stating that their children would not be doing any homework. He would then get calls later in the year from those same parents demanding to know why their child had failing grades.
I'm from India...currently a sophomore.. School is not that long only 7 hours but after this I go to study at private coaching taking up 4 hours then again have to come back and look at school works it's very stressful 😭 and I thought this was a torture but the Korean education system is something else
As a Korean, I am happy that foreigners are loving my country which was raged in war, resistance and ect. I am happy that outsiders are loving my country, I wish education improves and makes for better change for everyone. Idea: School starts at 8AM an finishes at 3:35pm and has extra ciriculem at 5pm to 7 or 8pm.
Poor journalism. Its South Korea, not Korea. Korea is not a nation anymore... you forgot to mention that asian nations outnumber the western nations in population so the odds are they would have more at the top. Too add, the rich educated asians go to the West. You must put this in perspective. The west still provide a solid education without over studying. Bc
@@MichiganUSASingaporeSEAsia In order to avoid hate and become political discussion, I always say Korea because I do not recognize North and South Korea as a split nation.
I lived in the Philippines as a teenager and I know that it was a big deal to get to stop in Seoul Korea and get these huge soft blankets. Everyone called them the "korea" blankets and they were a coveted bed covering. I know it's off topic but that's what I still remember about our layover in Korea on our way back home to the US
@@MichiganUSASingaporeSEAsia LMAO. Maybe you should find out how PISA exams work. Each nation is represented by the same number of students, no matter the size
I live in the United States. Half my family is Russian so I guess I relate to the strict eduction. Though, I noticed that none of them rely on sport scholarships that much, which is what I am going to college for. In my school none of us wear uniforms, instead we get to wear what we want. We respect some teachers but talk back to others (I don't lol). I am glad where I live because of all the fun experiences I get to do. Prom, tennis team, playing piano, making many friends, going to sport games and etc. I would die in a environment like this to be honest. Yes pushing education for peoples futures is a must, but their is always a limit.
Why does the Asian girl have a perfect American accent? I never would have guessed she was from South Korea if I met her on the street, I’d have thought she was American. Wow
@@lawtraf8008 That wouldn't really westernize her accent, though. I'm assuming she attended an international school of some sort, or has attended school abroad. Korean education system is all about memorizing and regurgitating information - you wouldn't get to this level of fluency from just attending korean schools.
I remember my class start at 6am to 11:30 pm or sometime 12am , I have to wake up at 5am. I went to 2 schools which are private school and public school. Private school is for more effective education and public school is for degree because back then my country only accept public high school degree. 6am-8am private school, 9am - 3pm public school, 4pm - 7 pm private school, 8 pm - 12am study time at private school.
I really appreciate such type of contents it’s really surprising to know how the education system is working in around Korea as compared to where I am studying. I am looking forward for such videos !!
I'm from SEA and unlike any other Asian countries, my country is somewhat have less stressful and less pressure when it comes to studying. The thing is there's always a competition in between each students but only because some students want to prove something to their parents or to other people. And I guess we all have different priorities. To us, school starts at 8am and ends at 5pm and that's 5 days a week. Sometimes, we only have Saturdays to play with our friends and Sundays will be spent doing assignments or the other way around.
In canaduh we only work half that much, but we are dumb and underachieving. However, we have lots of oil and mines, so we sell that to make a good living.
@@DmMoiMienNamke.mandimoiroNgu im thinking Vietnam cause Singapore is more stressful on top of studying u have cca(compulsory extra curriculum) which varies from 1-3 days a week and on top of that u have tuition and extra enrichnments
Meanwhile me as a student in SEA, went to school at 7:30-2:45 and played with friends till evening 😂. In our region, I think Singapore is the only country with education system similar to Korea and China.
Here in the Philippines: Elementary: Flag ceremony is at 06:00. For Grades 1-3, it's from 06:00 to 11:00; then the afternoon class is from 13:00 to 6:00. For Grades 4-6, it's from 06:00 to 15:00, sometimes 16:00 depending on subjects and topics of the day, and other activities. High School: Flag ceremony is at 07:00 (some schools at 06:00). 1st Year to 4th Year: 07:00 to 17:00. Or, 06:00 to 16:00. That's not counting the assignments and projects per subject that we are taking. And also to review because we almost had daily quizzes and surprise quizzes. We also have to prepare because recitation (teacher asks a question, students must answer correctly) is very important in our grades, not just quizzes and exams. Some of us stayed late in school doing our assignments, or in libraries. So when we get home, we can just relax, have fun, play, or sleep. Some go home immediately and do their assignments and projects. College/University, now that's a different story. There are universities with classes scheduled between 20:00 and 07:00. Those who chose those time slots usually sleep in vacant classrooms. And your 1st and 2nd years, as a male student, you are required to take in military training during the weekends (Saturday usually). But, we do have extracurricular activities mixed in, which keeps things balanced. * Note: the above examples were from the late 80s up to the early 2000s. My time. I can not speak for the current education system we have in the Philippines, especially since we now follow the K-12 education format. ;)
To add to the above: Subject level depends on one's school. For example, in my Elementary years, St. Mary's Academy (Pasay City) taught us with High School level subjects. In my High School years, Union High School of Manila (Philippine Christian University H.S. Manila), we were taught College level subjects. But it is not the case in other Philippine schools, they followed what the DepEd (Department of Education) told them to teach. Again, this was from late 80s to early 2000s.
If I were to choose in between being "an academically advanced Asian kid" or "Just an average kid from the USA/Australia/UK or anywhere in Europe", I'd drop the first and opt for the latter. When I first left for Australia to start my undergraduate studies at a University, I wasn't prepared for the mighty "culture" shock that I'd be encountering ahead (the shock would gradually into positive affirmation). As a Nepalese student who spent half of her life (that felt like eternity) following rigid rules at school and at home, this particular Australian institution was a gateway to realizing and discovering what freedom means and what it gives us. Watching Korean schools reminds me of how very similar we are, although we are galaxy miles apart in economic terms. We have talents in abundance but poverty becomes the "Scarlet Letter". And although, I was fortunate enough to have been born into a well to do family, freedom was a costly thing to behold. So, whenever I hear or see this question of " Are Asian kids academically more advanced?" I've a palpitating impulse to cry out " Rather, ask us Asian kids the value of freedom". 😅
As a Korean who studied both in Korea and abroad, it's a different identity and worldview as student in western countries as opposed to in Korea. As a student in Korea, there are expected boundaries as a student that a student can and cannot do (a lot of cant's) and anything other than academic or hardwork related things, everything is almost morally incorrect of a student. The differences were felt for me not just culturally and morally, but in the most daily activities. The most basic calculations in life such as a meal or calculative decisions, my Korean friends are extremely fast and two steps ahead compared to my western friends, where some of my brightest western friends might be like that, but it's mostly average in Korea. But competition is also a part of life, where everything is a bet, a competitive game, first one to the A gets B, last one to do X does Y, winners get all, losers lose all style of games and play are very common. This is very rare even compared to even some of my other Asian friends. One of my close Chinese friends told me at a social gathering when we were deciding which losers of a game were going to do the dishes "Man, do you Koreans always fight and compete for everything? Everytime we're doing something like this" and I laughed telling him it's the Korean life. But in the end the winners also help cleaning the house as well because of our communal nature. Tis the Korean life..
The teenage suicide rates for NZ, Canada, Switzerland are higher than South Korea, Singapore and Japan. Why is that? Can't be stress. Perhaps it is the inability to MANAGE stress. Westerners have high idleness and partying standards and a bit of pressure, they declare mental disease. They can't handle pressure well.
You can’t give best to someone If they don’t want it that way. “ The best” definition comes from you, which means you are forcing the child as parent. This is human rights, There is something called freedom and education system should be like Finland.
"I lost so many friends"
"Why? Is it because you study too much?"
"Some of them took their lives"
That spoke volumes. This is so sad.
😞
south korea has the hightest suicide rate in the world i'm Korean i can hear eveyday suicide news here in south korea
@Upset So is it better to not make friends and just study?
@Upset You also need to develop social skills. Life does not end after University. You need to be able to communicate well with peers and relate to them in order to work with and for other people. More importantly, you need people you can trust in and rely on when life becomes more than you can handle. While many of the friends you make in high school won't follow you throughout the rest of your life, the social skills you build with them and the memories you make with them will. As with all things, there is a balance between academics and social life.
@@markeddy1274 😂😂😂
Really admire the 3 kids of Wales who agreed to participate in this experiment , they went in knowing its difficult , living in a different nation , different culture & putting up long hours , it was really moving when they all said good bye .. at the end of the day , let the kids thrive , pursue their passions & live their dreams .. not their parents .
@@justlim622 But seeing what they had to endure for the 3 days in the schools, that's a different topic.
As an Indian High schooler I will be glad to take part in this experiment as I am already habituated to long study hours.
Lies again? High School Humiliating Singapore
Three kids from the isle of Britain you feel bad they are going on holiday?
I hope someday they also do another story where they bring the Korean kids to Wales for 3 days! Wouldn't that be awesome!
It would be a vacation for them.
im korean and my mom actually moved me and my brother to an international school with less harsh hours and im quite happy she did 😭
Given the studying hours, if I was a parent, I would too. 😭
Was it easier?
@@bearhugsforyou3349 It's way more expensive tho
@@bearhugsforyou3349 that is... if you could afford it. Don't you think most parents would if it cost the same as normal public schools?
Sounds like your mom made a good & really wise choice for both you and your brother. I'm an Asian-American (Filipino-American) mom of 2 homeschooled, Eurasian kids.
"No matter who you are, where you are, and how good you are,
there's always an Asian somewhere better than you."
at hockey?
Hockey? I've never seen an Asian play this sport so i take this as a win
@@athena4658 As an Asia ,there are some ppl play hockey here. For example Wirasinee Rattananai or nickname Namtan is Thai Ice hockey player, who won the Asian Championship 2019. Besides that she’s also being an actress.
@@athena4658 Btw,Not all of Asia are smart,including me.😢
@@RobertMJohnsonthis rule doesn’t apply to sports, and art in its entirety cause it is subjective
The routine in this video is not just for the private rich schools. Even though I went to a public high school known for poor education performance in my town, I had a similar schedule with them. I remember teachers sometimes told us to make sure that your classmates are not just friends, but your competitors. I bet most Koreans have heard it in their life. That’s how toxic it is😅
It is toxic. In my community it's the opposite, however our culture is different. My parents always raised me to view my classmates as competitors. Right now I'm in university and even tho I love the friends I made, I still view them as competition since we're in the same field. As much as I help them, I always strive to do better than them
competition isnt bad. it allows students to give their best just like in sports competiotion. Oh capatislm system also works that way thats why its the best
HEALTHY competition is good.
Be competetive. Strive for excellence. If you are dumb, dont study.. contribute to society anothrr way
It is not toxic.
Asian students have high respects to their teachers for sure
And also extreme level of disrespect too
Not true, it´s the same everywhere. But since these kids live in very different culture. They learn the respect and this behavior since they are born. They are stripped of they´re personality a lot, beggining the prime school at the age of three by the uniforms and they are wearing them for the whole day. They sit and repeat after teacher, same hair, same shoes, same glasses, same everything. Also there are collective punishments if one kid misbehave or doesn´t know something, the whole class is punished. I Japan, when kid has naturaly brown hair, parents need to color it black, or get doctors signed paper, it´s natural, not a color. Girls can only wear white undies and they do control it. This is why so many young people are killing themselves, leaving the country, never have kids. Adults are expected to live to work, not to work to live. They still have better rights than workers in USA, I mean even in India people get maternity leave and paid sick leave. But all this starts at home and at the crib of the child.
Not now
@@istoppedlaughing5225 can agree, schooled in Asia and the kids were something else😂 still very friendly people though and can be very welcoming when they want🫶🏾
@@thabilesempe9264 true, bad culture is destroying our teachers and students both
That much studying is too much. There is no balance, it is completely focused on academics. Paying so much for education. The Korean girl is very nice to the blonde girl when she was tired and not used to the schedule. The kids do not get enough sleep.
Nobody likes Korean Education System 😔 😕 😪
I think it's something difficult to change as Asian countries even in the SEA, they are top notch. Asians are already built that way as i come from South East Asia school system, i experienced it first hand and graduated. I think people other than Asians find it ridiculous cause they are more socially involved in school😂 Asians have that study is study and no in between during school!
But what do kids in western countries do with that extra spare time? They watch TV and play video gamees for hours.
Thats what makes a good educated society.
But that devotion to education even in India makes them replace American and European jobs....
Playing the piano scene reminded me theres always an Asian who can do it better
As someone who plays piano there is no telling between them who is actually better. The Asian kid played upside down but that's just a (very cool) party trick. It doesn't mean he's actually better lol
@@hanjis5894
True, you can get really good at rehearsing pieces you learned, but it doesn’t mean you can improvise/make your own music. It’s like comparing drawing realistic from reference vs drawing from imagination. Being good at one doesn’t directly translate to also being good at the other.
@@DelectableDays This is true but it’s not even about that. It’s just that the stuff he played was pretty simple so the upside down playing doesn’t reveal much about his usual technical abilities.
Even if that is true, that is not the point of studying music. Music is not a competition, it is art, and there are many ways to become excellent in it. If you play an instrument, don't give up because others are better than you, strive to be better than yourself! You can do it! :))
Why? Why would that be your first thought? Why not just be? Be who you are?
As a Singaporean I'll put this out here. Although Asian education systems are generally stricter, Korea is notoriously high on the stricter end alongside China. Here in SG our government is starting to move away from the flat competition and creating a more balanced learning environment. (They removed mid-year examinations and are changing grading and subject selection systems to make it less stringent). Yes we have to get there by early morning and end by near evening, yes we have mandatory co-curriculars and yes our parents often send us through multiple tuitions and sometimes extra side classes like music. But no, definitely not as strict. We still have one day every fortnight where we can work from home (It's called home-based learning) and generally there is more awareness of being less of an academic robot and slaving away at grades and instead growing more holistically.
Still strict asf and unethical to subject kids to such an education system. Most people do not need higher education, or really any education beyond basic reading, writing, and mathematics which can be learned by age 14.
@OpenBorders4isengard still, education is important and keeps us disciplined. As a singaporean myself, our education system isn't as tough as South korea or China. I'm glad that the government is trying to make education funner.
@@DelectableDaysVery interesting indeed - I wonder what your education level is
@@DelectableDayswhere is the respect for kids to put them through any of these cruel systems smh… children need to sleep and play as well as learn. Children don’t deserve to be stressed
@@maowmaoweecomparing yourself as having an easier childhood education than China and Korea isn’t saying much man 😅
I am korean and I think this frantic race for education might be due to lack of resource and rapid economic growth. The college entrance rate is about 70% in Korea and education is pretty much related to survival. It is perceived that which school you go to pretty much determines your life. But the problem is that Korean students are adjusted to get high scores in entrance exam which always have “answers”. This really makes students become test taking machines rather than learning what is useful to life. It is deteriorating the diversity and creativity. The education system is screwed but the students have to study for their survival in that system.
China also have similar pressures on their students too and it's a big and resource rich country. How do you explain that?
@@MyFirstHandle well maybe I made a too rigid statement. But I think it is related to survival in personal scale. Like India as well. If they don’t go to good schools the wage gap is enormous. They even have a city only for training students to get into good schools. Also for China it hasn’t been long since they started becoming rich. They also had rapid growth of economy as well. Education for them is also the only way to climb up the ladder. But because their education is also focusing on answers and lining the students up, their education also do lack of diversity.
@@MyFirstHandle You do need to remember that Chinese youth unemployment is at around 20%, undergraduates at 15% and those with post grads at 10-12% . It was on Chinese national news and all over Chinese social media, when it was reported that a third of new employees at a tobacco factory have at least a postgrad degree. There is not enough resources for everyone.
@Jason-wp2nq There are enough resources for everyone, they're just not being allocated properly
@@roundabout4727 China is a country based on corrupted dirty deals, only connected ppl get good stuffs
I’m glad to be born in Sweden. Free education? Yes. I even get paid to go to school. We learn a lot in many different subjects and there is not a big test that decides ur whole future. The lunch is free and if u need extra support in school u can get it!
In Korea, the lunch for the student is free, too, and school supplies for the elementary school students, 80 % of the necessary supplies are offered by the school.
What is this utopian you speak of?? Is this even real
It is a risk taking system. South korea was very poor and they believe that education is the key out of poverty. They have made Samsung and other large korean companies. There GDP is actually very high. They have of the fastest internet speeds.
U get paid? How much? Woww
@@Jomuerudoumandanberarumino I’m from Sweden too and everything they said is true
as a japanese growing up in Australia I always enjoy the less stressful schooldays during my childhood and now that I have lived and work in Asia, I always feel so sorry for the kids there where they hardly have time to relax or play sports and games, I seriously do not want my kids to be growing up in countries like singapoirre and many part of Asia, I think there are more things to growing ups and in life than treating kids like academic robots, I always find many asian kids might be bright in academic but they also lack many things I have seen in the kids in western countries. perhaps we should learn from each others and create a effective and more relax on our education system, after all not all kids are good at academic and that doesn't mean that they will end up less successful, can we explore every kids individuality and give them some time and fun to be. kids!
"perhaps we should learn from each others and create a effective and more relax on our education system, after all not all kids are good at academic and that doesn't mean that they will end up less successful, can we explore every kids individuality and give them some time and fun to be. kids!"
Interesting. In what way does this reflect your idea that you are learning from one another? If you want to reflect the idea of exchanging ideas, then we in the West should also think about increasing the expectations we have from our current students, having higher academic expectations, more rigorous standards, higher respect for the teaching profession, etc.
I am a Korean Canadian who grew up in Korea during my formative years, and whilst I certainly don't want my children raised in Asia, as teacher, I also think there are HUGE gaps in Western education system for whose solutions we need to look outside the insularity of western superiority.
Ah the typical self hating Japanese..Asian on the outside, white on the inside
You both said same thing,it's just you both dislike your own country's education.
I think from currently available systems, (although it's also not perfect) the best education programs /systems are in some European countries. So, somewhere in the middle ground between US and Asia. Have both these things, respect, high expectations, but also camaraderie, free time, etc.
@@9y2bgy correct
Do not feel sorry for us. We had good education and had enjoyed school.
As a former teacher from an underperforming gudeung hakkyo (high school) in Gyeongi Province, I can confidently say that the school featured in this video is not representative of all Korean high schools with respect to student learning and performance outcomes. The brutal schedule however, is representative. My students used to be in school till 11pm if they were preparing for the national uni entrance exam.
I understand it is to prep them for spending tons of time in their companies when they start work. Seems inefficient to me.
Chinese here, with a very similar routine and perhaps even more pressure due to a significantly larger population in China. The year before the GaoKao (college entrance exam), we would start our day at 6:30 am with a morning workshop for either Chinese or English, as that time was considered optimal for better memory. We spent the entire day at school, followed by a late-night independent study and review session lasting two hours, starting at 9 pm. After the day finally concluded, we had to finish washing up within 30 minutes and then head to bed. Teaching assistants would patrol to ensure no one was still awake and goofing around, and you definitely didn't want to mess with them. 😂Those three years in high school were a nightmare, and even just writing this comment brings back feelings of depression.😅
Im sorry you had to go through that
@@klaraix1058 don't be, its normal, its not something to be sorry about, if you want a good life, you gotta work for it, in competitive economies such as East and South East asian ones.
Normal doesn't equal good or healthy practice.@@abhinavshishodia8597
Maybe, but it is also important to enjoy your youth, have fun and sleep as many hours as you should because youth is not forever.
Pd:Sorry if it's written wrong (I don't know English) I'm using the translator 😅(◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
Al final todos vamos a morir asi que disfruten la vida aunque no sean millonarios o ricos.🥲❤
Now you have to study Russian and chinese.
Me as an Gen Z Asian Introvert, I would says Respect the Elders is number one priority in Asian Education.
Not sure why you felt the need to mention Gen Z and introvert because it had nothing to do with your statement. I’m a black American and even I know about respect of elders being huge in the Asian community. Then again like you said you are gen z so you all have to add different things to your identity. I’m a introverted non binary cis male, b positive blood type that sometimes identifies as a cat and my pronouns are ze/zer.
@@fusemore1059 It's actually means I'm a Gen Z who was born in Years 2005, and I'm also Introvert ( quite person ), and I'm Asian From Indonesia 🇮🇩.
@@fusemore1059 make sense whahah
@@fusemore1059 really had to throw some transphobia in there huh bud
that made literally no sense whatsoever i don't get it
No one asked you. You're so offended 😂 Americans sure are funny lol
Meanwhile me: Studies for 5 minutes. I felt so productive! Time to watch some UA-cam.
The Korean girl helping the welsh blonde has perfect English without a Korean accent. Wonder if she learned English and Korean at the same time young.
It could be similar to International School, they teach english classes more than you think. A lot of koreans millenial and GenZ's can speak perfect american english. Also the parents hire americans to teach their kids english the american vernicular.
@@zestycheesemaker4917 definitely not an international school..
@@zestycheesemaker4917 I wonder why American and not British or Australian?
It’s honestly not that unusual
I went to an international at a young age [ Japanese/Vietnamese] and have been trilingual without any accent for all three languages since
@@pjmsparkle5104 that feels like an unusual combination! was it a school in vietnam? and how did you learn english without any accent?
At last scene, very strong friendship with Korean students is real pure emotion.
Not unlimited competence between friend. It’s truth in one’s life.
trauma bonding perhaps?
@@itsgoingtobeok-justbreathe4808 It is rather succeeding desire in order to survive in severe competition Korea Society. Korea is small world and no natural resources but a number of Population Nation.ㅜ
As an Asian, one of the main driving forces for studying and getting good grades is seeing my parents' sacrifices to pay for my education. Seeing the part where the mom prays for hours at the temple for several years, wakes up very early to prepare meals, and the dad driving a taxi 14 hours a day, 6 days a week to pay for tutor. How can I not try to do well in school when my parents are doing all these so that I can have a better future? My mom has often told me, when I was younger, that education is the best gift she can give me.
This documentary also showed me why most korean kpop fans are so passionate about their idols. When more than 60% of their time is spent on school, probably the only thing that can make them feel alive are those idols so they get obsessed about it
@Twice is the Worst Girl Group I won't take you seriously with a username like that 😭😭😂😂😂
But what about kpop stans overseas?
@@jl63023 kpop is designed to make you addicted so it can profit off fans
@@debb0rWhy is it the worst group?
why is no one talking about the fact the dude played the piano backwards?
that was so cool😭
I like that the kids are involved in cleaning their classrooms.
Isn't that normal though?
@@KkkKkk-he3db no lmao, not in America
so its just an asian thing?
@@hanaillarapha yes i think
Most Asian countries do that
12:30 that actually made me want to cry, their mothers' dedication to their children is so pure 😢
the welsh principal has a great idea with bringing maths teachers from korea. however, i feel korean maths teachers will need to be well prepared for western students. while most are respectful and do their work diligently, there are many who talk back, don't put in effort, have argumentative parents, etc. it's a whole different culture and if they're not prepared for it, they'll just go back home no matter what the schools may offer.
18:14 This really resonated with me as someone who grew up in Korea. Up until college, Korean students perform at an extremely high level, yet Korea produces very few world-class scientists, engineers or innovators. It's because Koreans care only about getting into a top-tier college, not about actually learning or producing something original or creative. When you have a society that cares much more about appearance and status instead of pursuing your dreams, you end up with a depressed generation of kids who don't even know what they want to do and become another layer of corporate slaves. The average student in the UK may not as smart as the average Korean student, but the smartest student in the UK is far more likely to become a world-renowned scholar/engineer/leader than the smartest student in Korea, and that's because in the UK, studying is not forced upon students who could not care less about studying. Only those who are genuinely curious to study higher level subjects do so and end up becoming the best.
What are you talking about? Every STEM professor in Korean uni have their own lab and research group. There’re a lot of world class scientists from Korea. Their research is used ini big Korean companies.
People came to do their STEM masters & PhD to Korea because of those reason.
where is your citation? Many Korean scientists produce many researchers that are cited all over the world. Many innovations come from korea from cellphones to semiconductors....
Ever heard of Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia, etc etc ???
@humtsoe17 I wanted to leave this comment, too. I mean, what companies are there in the UK that can compare with this list of companies.
What the f!!! You are clearly to narrow minded or still a kid to think this LMAO…. As a country as small as Korea… have you not heard of all their technology??? What are you on??? Lol
We need education but we also need teenage life .
its a cultural difference. Western parents frequently hold high standards for their girls, but low or no standards for the boys. Hence why girls do better in school, and are now outnumbering men in college.
Asian put a tremendous amount of pressure on kids starts from age 3 and through k-12
Also, traditionally speaking, Teaching was thrown onto women. It was the first career a woman could have, but still paid nothing; it was deemed an undesirable career path for men, which is why the responsibility was thrown squarely on women. Teachers, educated women from educated families, getting paid nothing is actually what started the Feminist movement in the USA, not voting rights. Nowanddays, teaching is still one of the most abused and exploited professions, along with nursing. Now nobody wants to be a teacher .
Unlike nurses , teachers are not paid well in the states and far to much responsibility is put on them. On top of that school districts are increasing out national testing before the entire curriculum , the literally only teach the content related to national and state exams . The issue is the monetization of education is crazy. Our entire education system needs to be overhauled. Every child deserves access to the good education despite your zip code or socioeconomic status .
Imagine being american
@@amalmoallin I can’t believe that ontop of teachers not being paid well, they’re not expected to have guns in the classroom to protect them from school shooters. America smh 😭
That's not true at all. Western parents (at least in America) hold high standards for both boys and girls. The difference is girls are no longer expected to just learn how to be a wife and wait for a man to come and choose them for marriage. Women more often than not have to take care of themselves independently because marriage is no longer expected by your mid 20's (in some communities, only 26% of the men even get married at all) ...and it is common that both girls and boys move out on their own between 18-22. So, the girls are under immense pressure to be independent and the fastest and most reliable way of doing that is to get an education because many manual labor jobs are not suitable for many women, that's why they typically avoid them.
Girls tend to do better in school because they often develop faster mentally than the boys once they hit puberty. Her brain has to develop faster because once she starts menstruating, the body is expecting to carry a child soon, so she needs to be able to have the mental faculties to problem solve and sufficiently/instinctively take care of a baby.
@@mariz_mariz I live in America.... Im speaking about the Standards of America, and Standards that I was raised with in my own family; I come from a family of 4 grand daughters and 1 grandson - the ONLY grandchild who did not go to college is the GRANDSON.
All of the women in my family have gone to college and had careers; but the men, aside from 1 grandfather, have not. Father, Uncle, other Uncle, Other Uncle, Cousin. Not to mention HALF the men in my family are also alcoholics.
And in America, Girls are Now out-preforming boys in academics, starting in primary school. And now, there is more women going to college and university than men.
There IS a cultural sickness in the West where the mentality is still "boys will be boys," which has become the excuse used for everything from boys torturing and killing small animals, delinquency, sexual misconduct, toxic masculinity, and failing or dropping out of school --- not to mention overdosing on drugs at a rate that is nearly 4 TIMES HIGHER than their female counterparts.
The Standards Held to Women are Higher Across the Board.
And it needs to Stop.
The Standards Should be EQUAL.
This mini-documentary doesn't have near the views it deserves! Well done!
I like how Im watching this instead of doing my homework
Me over here at 9 watching UA-cam while there are students studying until 12… I genuinely have so much respect for these students, it’s amazing how they can study for hours
I respect Koreans soo much now
true. i dont study (not all Asians study) but you know, critical thinking is important here
You are young. It’s never too late. Make a goal to study extra 30-60 mins a day. Pick a subject or two to master.
Education is the most important thing these days, but this is a bit extreme. Human body needs to rest The amount of suicides and people shutting themselves inside of their own minds, loosing themselves in games and anime and manga, specially in these Asian countries, proves that they are overwhelmed.
trust me if you have kids dont make them study in Asia just ridiculous ! I am a japanese growing up in Australia and have worked in many part of Asia , I am glad I am single and dont have children cause if I do I wont want them to go to the school in many part of Asia. I think its just a matter of time that the western countries will face similar pressure form Asia, cant we draw a balance and let the kinds have some downtime after school instead of making them have extra tuition after school and weekends! ridiculous asian school system!
@@sebastiank9175 "cant we draw a balance and let the kinds have some downtime after school " you can if you send them to trade school. Don't plan for universities because acceptance is limited and people will try to compete for that. Its just a natural thing.
Education is important just to end up doing jobs that are completely unrelated to purpose of life and existence, besides meeting survival demands. I mean world's richest man may die at 80 and world's poorest man may also die at 80. So, all the education should do something to widen the gap as education equates directly to money rather than survival skills.
Education IS important, and I mean both formal and informal education. Also, education doesn't equate learning. I hope more people will become life-long learners and not just learning for the sake of passing exams. Those are superficial objectives whose benefits are rather short term.
@@9y2bgy Agree I started to learn Japanese when I was 45.
Having a child in Korea sounds super stressful because you've already spent so much time getting education to do your dream and now you have a child and you have to work harder and you have much time for your dream.
hence why not a lot of people now are having kids there and or choosing to improving their career instead of having kids, I mean look at Japan. I've seen a video where a korean hagwan teacher chose to have his kids study in Australia cuz he knows what's up with the korean school system :(
As a foreign teacher here in South-east Asia for 30 years, i can say that i really enjoyed this documentary. Thank you
where are you originally from and at what level do you teach
I got a PhD at the University of Wisconsin. The Asian students put in at least double the amount of study time that the Anglo students did, and that's no exaggeration. So it isn't exactly a mystery why they do better.
learning by rote. that is why they can’t innovate anything. can’t think outside the box.
I don't think we in the US should completely change our schooling system to be competitive with Asians, but we can borrow some ideas from them. Such as respect for the elderly and the teacher. Next setting higher expectations for our kids. We can start there first and see how things go. We also, need to make our streets safe, so that kids can feel safe walking around at night and can enter a restaurant with being attacked. (San Francisco)
Safe streets yes.
I’m from Europe and have walked to school alone or with friends since I was 6 years old.
But the main problem is the super expensive colleges and that (from what I know) it greatly depends on where you live and thus what school you go to since the quality varies greatly. You need to make sure teachers are held in higher regard (esp by parents. The children will follow that) and the quality is good
And don’t force everyone to go to college. Alternative options need to be good as well. (Non university education, eg vocational school that still allows for opportunities in their life).
Oh and standard testing is horrible.
That’s where I would start…. Esp college prices. Bc that creates a ton of inequality. And quality
Tbh you can't ask the kids to be blindly respectful to elders coz the US had created TOO MANY PERVERT ELDERS!! American male elders CAN NOT BE TRUSTED! 95% of them! If you have any baby girl you better be cautious, or you'll be really really sorry!
"borrow ideas from them such as respect for elders and teachers.."
You have to excuse my ignorance if my impending comment might seem to embody it.
So I grew up having been taught that anyone who is older than you (doesn't have to be a senior citizen), you should know to respect in any way you see fit. So if I have a brother (5yrs older than me) or sister, I do not talk back or reason out aggressively. I can state my point but it should be in a manner that warrants respect. Otherwise, no older person is ever going to hear your voice with a tone that's incredibly off putting. Or acknowledge that they are older (can be honorifics--I understand that not all languages have these) and that we value some of their opinions etc.. Teachers. They are these generous individuals sharing their knowledge to us in order for us to equip ourselves when we go out to the real world. U will be shunned if u disrespect them unless there is proof that they deserve to be disrespected.
It baffles me however, that you mentioned both 'normal' things to be *borrowed*. I do not assume it is bec of culture since respect is a very 'normal decent person' trait, isn't it?
I just wanted to know why respect towards elderly & teachers is a thing that needs to be adapted/borrowed instead of being taught by parents themselves.
I do genuinely and respectfully ask this, to understand the social dynamics (wherever u may be) and perhaps if it is stemming from a cultural aspect, isolated case, country's history, etc.
Glad a fellow American chimed in. Note how the current discourse about education in America feels that the reason we score low on reading and math internationally is because we are now talking too much about lgbt issues or CRT. The people who make those kinds of comments are some damn myopic. The US has been scoring low for DECADES and we aren’t asking the right questions why or if it even really matters. Why can’t we just accept that we have a different culture in our country and that it’s no totally terrible. For example, we love sports in the US and encourage boys and girls to play a lot. That sort of thing doesn’t happen as much in Asia. After all, you can’t spend hours on little league AND doing math and music tutoring. You kinda have to choose. At least most parents do for the shear fact that they can’t afford to pay for everything
Especially in California where it's so dangerous and their schools are failing badly
as an indonesian, i can relate to some of the routines korean students go through, like tutors and lessons, but i am grateful that as an indonesian student, there are still balance between study, socializing, and organizational activities that are really being encouraged in indonesia, which I think the korean education system lacks that of encouraging organization and social life lessons that can really be helpful for their future in society. After watching this video, it makes me feel really lucky to have gone to a good school that regconises student's need not just in academics, but also life lessons and have teacher with the same amount of respect to their students. Still..kudos to all korean students
grateful to be mediocre? indonesia doesn't even qualify as a competitor to east asians on the world stage.
@@Myth-of-sisyphus Lmaoo, she was just stating her opinions about the korean education system, you dont have to be so pressed/mad/hateful about it 😭
just incase you deleted your comment (this is what you commented):
"grateful to be mediocre? indonesia doesn't even qualify as a competitor to east asians in the world stage."
@@Myth-of-sisyphus oh dear Jimmy, Indonesia is one big country while it is true that our education is mostly lacking to accommodate the diverse and wide range of population,some privileged families can afford quality education for their children. Cities like Jakarta and Surabaya is home to one of the best private and international schools.
Dude, our pisa score is even lower than wales there is nothing to be grateful for.
our score PISA is 74 of 80 countries
I think people have to understand where these strict and almost crazy education standards come from originally. Korea's been a country that's been attacked all its life. There are always powerful nations that attack Korea at some point in History. And to turn the ruins of a country after a war to an economic powerhouse is no easy feat. Competitiveness and the concept of efficiency has benefited Korea to grow and build itself back.
Especially in a small country with a big population like Korea, you need to stand out somehow and that's why education is so important to Koreans. I don't think it would be easy to ged rid of the customs and the way of life, especially when Koreans are so accustomed to social burdens and the need to be the best. I think the hardships of the war and the hardened mindset has continued to this day; wanting comfort and a sort of stability in the midst of the current situation. So yeah. Just my thoughts. I'm not supporting the harsh education system in Korea, but what I'm trying to say is I can see where it came from and why we would change this rigid society.
I actually never looked at this point of view. Thank you for your insight🤔.
Standard of living in Korea is not very good .
Korea is more like a third world country than a developed country .
Wages and salary are relatively low and cost of living and housing is very expensive .
It is difficult to afford Housing in Korea even with a High salary .
Also , Korea has many people below the poverty line .
Medical care is expensive in Korea too .
@@kingquincyonly Standard of living in Korea is not very good .
Korea is more like a third world country than a developed country .
Wages and salary are relatively low and cost of living and housing is very expensive .
It is difficult to afford Housing in Korea even with a High salary .
Also , Korea has many people below the poverty line .
Medical care is expensive in Korea too .
@@bobfaam5215 I think comparing it to a third world country is an extreme stretch and I should know know because I actually come from one. However I don't disagree with the high cost of living and everything else.
@@bobfaam5215 Stop being delusional
I am SHOCKED that the kids in the host families speak English with perfect American accents and with our inflections and everything. Phenomenal!
Im pretty sure they were chosen based on their english proficiency. But yeah, its kinda impressive on one hand, on the other its definitly not the average student being shown there :D
I went to an ultra competitive medical college prep high school in the US where we had on average about 6 hours of homework a night. A typical day was a couple of exams, multiple term papers due, in person hospital work, and practical exams for our medical classes. It was extremely difficult as it was meant to prepare us for actual medical school. The school made a sport out of us competing with our fellow students. When we could get our quarterly rankings, kids would literally be crying in the halls if they weren't top 10%, so to some degree I understand this South Korean work ethic, but I also know as compared to friends in other schools I missed out a lot on social aspects of school. We really did not have any sports and extra curriculars were all academic based like health and math competitions, and clubs that basically were for college resume purposes.
Exactly. We can’t seem to accept in America that kids can’t be super academically rigorous AND do all the other things our culture values
wait, do you go to debakey high school? I got accepted and rescinded my application last minute to opt for the neighborhood school, best decision I ever made. Most transfers to my school are actually my old middle school friends who decided to go there
@@jaydehy I did, this was a while back. They have since moved to their new campus and I'm sure a lot has changed since when I went that I can't speak to now. Where did you end up going?
That’s ridiculous. So much for being a well rounded person with interests outside academics. I would imagine there are miserable and totally burned out people by their thirties.
@@Xrager101xand your response shows the different cultural values we have in the West vs Asia. Of course, they are going to produce more engineers than us with that kind of work ethic so why do we complain so much, at least in the USA, how our schools suck and are kids are dumb when we aren’t willing to accept that we don’t value education the same way Asians do?
This motivated me to study more, although not that much since moderation is key. I hope for better grades!
Hoping for better grades doesn't need more studying. You can go to a church and pray. That's hope. If you studied harder and are satisfied that you've put in more effort, then you should EXPECT better grades, yeah?
@@9y2bgy ore like mosque in this situation judged by name
same!
@@soberman1520 😂👌🏻
@@9y2bgy Thanks for your very thoughtful advice. Instead of studying, I'll know go to a mosque and pray.
We only get one childhood, I'd rather not spend it doing non-stop homework
Same. I believe homework is punishment and should not be given at all. I'd love it more if we had a more effective curriculum and better teachers, that would be much more effective in students studying than homework, but sadly our country sucks when it comes to education and they put the responsibility of studying on the kids, not the adult who should know these stuff already
There needs to be a balance. Kids have the ability to learn far more than adults. When starting young and learning the foundation + is actually a good thing. Balance is definitely key. Burn out and suicide is not the answer. Ignorance and illiterate isn't it either.
The public education system in most countries is completely barbaric, sadistic even, if you really understand how dumbfoundingly inefficient it is.
The other reason school hours match a 40hr work week is to justify giving 40hrs of work to an entire class of rent-seekers built around the farce i.e. “teachers”, particularly women. Literally make-work jobs. These people are some of the most entitled, narcissistic, snotty, and unpleasant Karens I’ve ever seen in my life.
If you wanted an ethical and prosperous education system, you’d have fire 50% of the teachers right off the bat, but probably many more.
Min’s English is actually crazy good.
I was watching this while working, more listening then watching actually and I didn't even notice that it was the Korean girl speaking haha
this was an excellent documentary! very well made, well done! thank you to everyone who worked on it and especially the 6 students who accepted to be filmed throughout this experience, i learned a lot!
Honestly this is a dream come true to me, I wish I was able to go to these schools and study. I love learning but in America teachers are very different. Korea seems to have teachers that love teaching, that’s all I want.
The problem with teaching in America is teaching is only 20% of what a teacher has to do in a day. They are loaded with meetings, and useless paperwork , dealing with terrible behavior, etc…. All teachers I know would love to just teach and get creative with it.
There was notably zero bad behaviour either in the classroom, the library, or on the streets. These children would be successful even if their schooldays were equal to those in North America.
If USA teachers had the parental support that Korean parents give, it would be fantastic for the teacher AND the students! Many USA parents do NOT have the expectations for their children that they should when it comes to education.
YUP in Asia being a teacher is like every parents dreams for their kids other than doctor or lawyers. Being a teacher means that you will be respected for your whole life. Stable jobs and a lot of holidays. In my family we have 10 teachers, my uncle, my dad, my aunt, my cousins...etc...LMAO. Lot of Holiday and family times since childhood and great benefits xD
family times when kids are non-stop at school?
@@poetaetoenail this is what I want from life! To see my closest relatives for two weeks in a year!
@@AsterFoz They literally said in the video that teachers have two months of holidays per year.
@@drcola143 yes, big difference. And what about the 10 remaining months?
Not in India i suppose 😅
I watched this in grade 6 in 2019, I’m now in grade 10 and still cannot believe the work ethic… and the long hours they push for, but nevertheless a very motivating video! ❤️
From SA 🇿🇦
maybe our government should do something like this or at least give after school classes for free
Are Asian youths any better than the Nigerian youths?
I'm also from SA and I genuinely get scared when I see videos like this cause we are literally being left behind
it is better to be in the school than in the streets or pride parades!!!
@@animeboy9433 But you are alive.
28:40 This area is right outside my home and when parents sign their children up for hakwons there’s a massive line of parents, some even in camping chairs that stretch out for meters! It’s crazy how the education system has come so far for children to achieve social mobility in society. Parents believe that going to a prestigious university will set them on the path of a successful life, when in reality it’s actually very difficult to achieve that in modern society.
you are delusional, its obvious that a person who is from a prestigious university in Asian Countries will be handpicked by industrial giants because getting into that UNI reflects their potential.
Why did i even cry when they said goodbye in the classes... must be such a nice experience!!
I remember watching this video at school during an english lesson thinking ”Damn, and I thought our days could be tiring’ hehe. The work ethic is impressive!
You don't want your kids to study as crazy as Asian kids. In Korea, it's very common for a 6-year-old kid to go to different kind of institutions for learning after regular school hour until 9 P.M. Not to mention high school students.
Ah bro, same in south Asia, India:))
I just realise when I was in kindergarten, I had to go to school from 7am to 6pm. But we at least had nap times and a few playing sessions here and there. I’m sort of grateful that I don’t have the Korean, Japanese and Chinese Education system. The Singapore Education seems less stress than this. 😅
That is insane!
Agreed, has anyone forgot that happiness exists, and your hours studying won't matter when we all die orrr?
Life is not all about studying and achieving academically. It's still important to enjoy life based on your choice, free will and at the same time know how to be responsible enough on the actions or decision you made. Life is too short to bury yourself studying and not enjoying it at the same time.
depends of the country and what you can or cannot do with a diploma.
Not unless you’re in a country that allows for people without diplomas to work in higher paying jobs. If you don’t get at least a bachelor’s degree in a country like South Korea you’re guaranteed to do minimum wage jobs.
I won't say Asian can score academically, but it just because they are being indoctrinated to complete a lot of exercises and exam questions. Therefore, the designated exam patterns and problem solving can be trained periodically. If the western kids are being exposed in such environment, they can excel too. The advantage of Asian education is the fundamental knowledge of the student is high. However, the lack of creativity and critical thinking skills can be seen as well. If you twist the question or change it into a whole different scenario, we will be confused at first, and not able to perform like the western kids do. Sometimes I do admire the western education. In my opinion, I think that the combination of both styles can be beneficial for the students in the long run.😄😄
My question is, if you are indoctrinated for years and years and years. What is the advantage for the individual itself? There are more benefits for the society and government, for them it is money. That is the capitalistic system. The government and society want profit and indoctrinated students are the perfect fit for.
It depends. Here in the Philippines, at least during my time (late 80s to early 2000s), our education system was balanced between South Korea and Wales, if we are going to use what was shown in the documentary. So, we don't “lack creativity and critical thinking skills”, and have no problems if “you twist the question or change it into a whole different scenario”.
The Philippines, being the melting pot of the East and the West, created a lot of balanced things, and education is one such area. Again, this is during my time as a student, I can't speak for the current education system.
Their IQ though...😌
You mentioned "However, the lack of creativity and critical thinking skills can be seen as well.". Where and how did you see their lack of creativity and critical thinking? Can you support your claim or just BS?
@@malakatan3235 IQ is not related tho. You can have a child that never attended school with a genius IQ and a Korean child that studies 24/7 with average BUT there are probably more above average Korean students than in other countries. That's only because they worked their brains and it is possible to get a higher IQ with practice
@ChangBaek said:
18:14 This really resonated with me as someone who grew up in Korea. Up until college, Korean students perform at an extremely high level, yet Korea produces very few world-class scientists, engineers or innovators. It's because Koreans care only about getting into a top-tier college, not about actually learning or producing something original or creative. When you have a society that cares much more about appearance and status instead of pursuing your dreams, you end up with a depressed generation of kids who don't even know what they want to do and become another layer of corporate slaves. The average student in the UK may not as smart as the average Korean student, but the smartest student in the UK is far more likely to become a world-renowned scholar/engineer/leader than the smartest student in Korea, and that's because in the UK, studying is not forced upon students who could not care less about studying. Only those who are genuinely curious to study higher level subjects do so and end up becoming the best.
More like most kids are exhausted after graduating college and lost interest in academic activities.
11:45-11:53 That was shocking to me. I didn't know so many Welsh kids didn't go to college.
All the kids in this video seemed great.
10:44 I love how all the kids turn in their phones to the teacher when school starts. WE NEED THAT HERE IN THE US.
In my country we have that too! If kids for example get in trouble, the teachers will get hold of those phones whatever time they want.. Last time my friend has her phone taken away and she was able to get it after i belive 2-3 months for accidentally sleeping in class... It was terrible her parents got mad at her for sleeping and that she deserved it when she didn't even meant to do it she was joking about it now and made it seem like it didn't affect her that much.. But i know she was sad and depressed for those couple of months... She's addicted to coffee now hahaha
We have in Kalamazoo Michigan
Not allowed to bring phones to school here in Malaysia
@@suckitgreenboiiiii1921 why didn't you mention your country??
@@Kromiball all of Malaysia? Where are you located in Malaysia?
And still, Finland has the best education in the world, with a relaxed learning environment.
Such a good example of an education system
Agree
It's astonishing how a number of kids in the boys class are wearing glasses. I'm a bit concern
Koreans desire nothing more than to look smart so the demand for glasses is very high
They need to eat lots of organic carrots for eye health.
Glasses; smart
@@oneviwatara9384 actually a myth lol, carrots don't matter to eye health at all, but i wish it were true!
@@thekamotodragon no they do help
Best wishes❤🥰
We watched this in class yesterday! Thanks Real Families!
My private tutor in home told me he use to read 18 hours before the University exam and he didn’t gone to any private tutoring sessions in primary and high school and even in college now he reads Applied Chemistry in country’s no1 university
Finland is the way to go for schools and education overall.
I admire how dedicated Koreans are when it comes to education. However, I am worried about the mental health of the students. This type of strategy does work, but it pushes the students to the extreme and some resort to suicide just to escape from the pressure.
The west pupils do not study too much. | Миру мир!
Your pinoy country ranks bottom. Dont be so proud.
If you admire the Korean wait until you see the Chinese in China…😂
i get a lot out of this video, it gives me the power of study.
Is not only the long hours, but also the predisposition of the students towards education. They are totally focused and respectful to their teacher.
in my school here in the Philippines, we only study 5 hours everyday and that is between 8-12 am. we are happy and healthy omg kekw i am actually very glad we are not as strict as the south korean education because academic stress can get pretty overwhelming and deprecating.
well that's probably because of the pandemic and grade level but once we get back to normal we probably will go back to 7-4pm
@@diablodddiabloNot much difference here, it’s always been the same even in Pandemic times here in Singapore besides the constant HBLs.
Whaaattt? I am in the Philippines and my school starts at 7am-5pm lol
As a fellow Filipino, I can attest that the study hours in schools can differ depending on whether you are in Manila or a province. In Manila, it is typically around 5 hours of study, while in the province, it extends throughout the whole day. A typical school day in the province often starts from 8:00 am until 11:30 am, followed by a lunch break, and then classes resume from 1:30 pm until 4:00 pm.
what school is that? most filipino schools are usually on a 7am-5pm schedule or it used to be i dont know if it changed during the pandemic
As they mention the suicide rate in South Korea is highest in the industrialized world at 28.6 per 100k, which is double that of Japan. In contrast the UK has one of the lowest at 7.9 per 100k - there is a price to pay for all this competition
Great video. I hope you can bring back these three lovely students back in Korea after a decade and reconnect with their Korean classmates.
I would like to see a similar model of comparison done with schools in Finland, to provide a broader spectrum of information.
Finnish education also has a very good reputation for excellence.
My school closes at 3 ,and at 3 is when my brain stops working.
I could never do this.
But how happy are these kids. I understand you wan't your children to perform well at school, but I wish my child would be happy and had time to spend on themselves and being young too. Life is to short to only spend in school benches, study hals or the library.
9:25
"I did wake up..just fall back asleep.." I've never been so related.
Fantastic documentary. I’m Australian but my wife is Korean and from a wealthy family in Gangnum I bought a piano and was surprised my wife could play it. It was due to her intensive education Seoul. It was like nothing to her to so good at it.
this made me realize how spoiled i am as a western student. im never complaining again about the amount of homework i have.
I didn’t know less than half of Welsh students continue on with high school. 😮 Also, there has to be something between the Welsh and Korean systems. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I 1000% agree with turning in phones for the school day though. 👍
School Bullying is ranked pretty high in South Korea from what I understand this may also contribute to the suicide rate. 🤔. Thank you for the research. 🙏💜
Bruh! No! You're probably reading too many manwhas LOL!
no mate, there is no such thing as bullying in here, there might be a few cases but thats all in the shows and mangas, everyone is too busy to bother others.
A lot of it has to do with parent's and student's respect for education and the teachers that provide it. Don't even get me started on the sheer lack of respect for teachers in the States. My father had parents that would send their childrens' homework back to school ripped up with notes attached stating that their children would not be doing any homework. He would then get calls later in the year from those same parents demanding to know why their child had failing grades.
40:58 really love Sarah's smiles and laughs! she seemed so flexible and open to exploring to new things
I'm almost finished with a sociologi class and by the first 12 min I can't stop connecting the documentary to sociologi theories xD
I'm from India...currently a sophomore.. School is not that long only 7 hours but after this I go to study at private coaching taking up 4 hours then again have to come back and look at school works it's very stressful 😭 and I thought this was a torture but the Korean education system is something else
Well, I used to go to two tuitions (for math and physics) 2 hours each and I used to go by bycycle. It was so tiring.
Btw, which board, state are you from and which class?
@@abhipsam05 Manipur board sorry for the late reply I didn't get notifications
@@ilovebluelockkkhi I can relate too
I'm from Odisha board
The birthrate has decreased in Korea and suicidal rate is kinda high in Korea 😬😬😬 i think it's the pressure of school
As a Korean, I am happy that foreigners are loving my country which was raged in war, resistance and ect. I am happy that outsiders are loving my country, I wish education improves and makes for better change for everyone.
Idea: School starts at 8AM an finishes at 3:35pm and has extra ciriculem at 5pm to 7 or 8pm.
eye(s) roll...and a laugh out loud.
Poor journalism. Its South Korea, not Korea. Korea is not a nation anymore... you forgot to mention that asian nations outnumber the western nations in population so the odds are they would have more at the top. Too add, the rich educated asians go to the West. You must put this in perspective. The west still provide a solid education without over studying. Bc
@@MichiganUSASingaporeSEAsia In order to avoid hate and become political discussion, I always say Korea because I do not recognize North and South Korea as a split nation.
I lived in the Philippines as a teenager and I know that it was a big deal to get to stop in Seoul Korea and get these huge soft blankets.
Everyone called them the "korea" blankets and they were a coveted bed covering.
I know it's off topic but that's what I still remember about our layover in Korea on our way back home to the US
@@MichiganUSASingaporeSEAsia LMAO. Maybe you should find out how PISA exams work. Each nation is represented by the same number of students, no matter the size
The welsh students did pretty well! It took me years just for my mouth to able to say thank you in Korean. I think they can do fine.
I live in the United States. Half my family is Russian so I guess I relate to the strict eduction. Though, I noticed that none of them rely on sport scholarships that much, which is what I am going to college for. In my school none of us wear uniforms, instead we get to wear what we want. We respect some teachers but talk back to others (I don't lol). I am glad where I live because of all the fun experiences I get to do. Prom, tennis team, playing piano, making many friends, going to sport games and etc. I would die in a environment like this to be honest. Yes pushing education for peoples futures is a must, but their is always a limit.
Why does the Asian girl have a perfect American accent? I never would have guessed she was from South Korea if I met her on the street, I’d have thought she was American. Wow
Because younger generations are very Americanised
@@lawtraf8008 That wouldn't really westernize her accent, though. I'm assuming she attended an international school of some sort, or has attended school abroad. Korean education system is all about memorizing and regurgitating information - you wouldn't get to this level of fluency from just attending korean schools.
I remember my class start at 6am to 11:30 pm or sometime 12am , I have to wake up at 5am. I went to 2 schools which are private school and public school. Private school is for more effective education and public school is for degree because back then my country only accept public high school degree. 6am-8am private school, 9am - 3pm public school, 4pm - 7 pm private school, 8 pm - 12am study time at private school.
The domino effect of students over pressure, parent’s sacrifice and teachers and education’s system
33:06 okay seeing your teacher pull his chicken mask out while saying no to teach the right way of doing arithmetic series can lighten up the mood
I really appreciate such type of contents it’s really surprising to know how the education system is working in around Korea as compared to where I am studying. I am looking forward for such videos !!
everyone is so fluent in english👍🏻
I'm from SEA and unlike any other Asian countries, my country is somewhat have less stressful and less pressure when it comes to studying. The thing is there's always a competition in between each students but only because some students want to prove something to their parents or to other people. And I guess we all have different priorities. To us, school starts at 8am and ends at 5pm and that's 5 days a week. Sometimes, we only have Saturdays to play with our friends and Sundays will be spent doing assignments or the other way around.
In canaduh we only work half that much, but we are dumb and underachieving. However, we have lots of oil and mines, so we sell that to make a good living.
May I ask which country are you from?
Where are u from? Except Singapore and Vietnam, all other SEA countries are at the BOTTOM of the PISA ranking
@@DmMoiMienNamke.mandimoiroNgu im thinking Vietnam cause Singapore is more stressful on top of studying u have cca(compulsory extra curriculum) which varies from 1-3 days a week and on top of that u have tuition and extra enrichnments
@@ahahaha239
Singaporean here.
It's not that bad actually 😂
Meanwhile me as a student in SEA, went to school at 7:30-2:45 and played with friends till evening 😂. In our region, I think Singapore is the only country with education system similar to Korea and China.
Here in the Philippines:
Elementary: Flag ceremony is at 06:00.
For Grades 1-3, it's from 06:00 to 11:00; then the afternoon class is from 13:00 to 6:00.
For Grades 4-6, it's from 06:00 to 15:00, sometimes 16:00 depending on subjects and topics of the day, and other activities.
High School: Flag ceremony is at 07:00 (some schools at 06:00).
1st Year to 4th Year: 07:00 to 17:00. Or, 06:00 to 16:00.
That's not counting the assignments and projects per subject that we are taking. And also to review because we almost had daily quizzes and surprise quizzes. We also have to prepare because recitation (teacher asks a question, students must answer correctly) is very important in our grades, not just quizzes and exams.
Some of us stayed late in school doing our assignments, or in libraries. So when we get home, we can just relax, have fun, play, or sleep. Some go home immediately and do their assignments and projects.
College/University, now that's a different story. There are universities with classes scheduled between 20:00 and 07:00. Those who chose those time slots usually sleep in vacant classrooms. And your 1st and 2nd years, as a male student, you are required to take in military training during the weekends (Saturday usually).
But, we do have extracurricular activities mixed in, which keeps things balanced.
* Note: the above examples were from the late 80s up to the early 2000s. My time. I can not speak for the current education system we have in the Philippines, especially since we now follow the K-12 education format.
;)
To add to the above:
Subject level depends on one's school. For example, in my Elementary years, St. Mary's Academy (Pasay City) taught us with High School level subjects.
In my High School years, Union High School of Manila (Philippine Christian University H.S. Manila), we were taught College level subjects.
But it is not the case in other Philippine schools, they followed what the DepEd (Department of Education) told them to teach.
Again, this was from late 80s to early 2000s.
If I were to choose in between being "an academically advanced Asian kid" or "Just an average kid from the USA/Australia/UK or anywhere in Europe", I'd drop the first and opt for the latter.
When I first left for Australia to start my undergraduate studies at a University, I wasn't prepared for the mighty "culture" shock that I'd be encountering ahead (the shock would gradually into positive affirmation). As a Nepalese student who spent half of her life (that felt like eternity) following rigid rules at school and at home, this particular Australian institution was a gateway to realizing and discovering what freedom means and what it gives us. Watching Korean schools reminds me of how very similar we are, although we are galaxy miles apart in economic terms. We have talents in abundance but poverty becomes the "Scarlet Letter". And although, I was fortunate enough to have been born into a well to do family, freedom was a costly thing to behold.
So, whenever I hear or see this question of " Are Asian kids academically more advanced?" I've a palpitating impulse to cry out " Rather, ask us Asian kids the value of freedom". 😅
As a Korean who studied both in Korea and abroad, it's a different identity and worldview as student in western countries as opposed to in Korea. As a student in Korea, there are expected boundaries as a student that a student can and cannot do (a lot of cant's) and anything other than academic or hardwork related things, everything is almost morally incorrect of a student. The differences were felt for me not just culturally and morally, but in the most daily activities. The most basic calculations in life such as a meal or calculative decisions, my Korean friends are extremely fast and two steps ahead compared to my western friends, where some of my brightest western friends might be like that, but it's mostly average in Korea.
But competition is also a part of life, where everything is a bet, a competitive game, first one to the A gets B, last one to do X does Y, winners get all, losers lose all style of games and play are very common. This is very rare even compared to even some of my other Asian friends. One of my close Chinese friends told me at a social gathering when we were deciding which losers of a game were going to do the dishes "Man, do you Koreans always fight and compete for everything? Everytime we're doing something like this" and I laughed telling him it's the Korean life. But in the end the winners also help cleaning the house as well because of our communal nature. Tis the Korean life..
The teenage suicide rates for NZ, Canada, Switzerland are higher than South Korea, Singapore and Japan. Why is that? Can't be stress.
Perhaps it is the inability to MANAGE stress. Westerners have high idleness and partying standards and a bit of pressure, they declare mental disease. They can't handle pressure well.
It’s not only Korean parents, it’s parents all over the world will do their best to give best to their children.
I'll be honest, that's highly debatable. Not because other parents can't or wont, but because there isn't the same pressure regarding education.
You can’t give best to someone If they don’t want it that way. “ The best” definition comes from you, which means you are forcing the child as parent. This is human rights, There is something called freedom and education system should be like Finland.
In New Zealand we start school at 9 and ends at 3, after watching this documentary, I am glad my childhood was not like that
Their poor little brains. My brain shuts off at 8pm. 😂😂No matter how much I push until 10pm it's just lost time and information.
Same
That guy who lost his friends I really feel bad for him😢
Min's right tho, striking a balance is what south korea needs to do now.
In asia most students after school goes to supplemental classes then after ariving home to have music class then study again.