Schools in Korea are among the best in the world. If, however, you have a no-spanking policy in your house, you may not want to send your child to a Korean public school as they are allowed to use corporal punishment (holding books over their head for extended periods of time, slapping them with rulers, etc.). Of course, there are many Korean public school teachers do not believe in using this form of punishment, but it is allowed in schools if that’s how teachers want to run their class.
Korean students, like any other student, love weekends. They love vacation. They really enjoy any time not spent at school. During the school year, though, the students are worked much harder than their peers in other countries – particularly high school students. Korean parents know what kind of competition their kids are going to be facing in high school and university, so giving their kids every kind of academic opportunity is extremely important to them. This includes making their children learn English.
In Korea, there are international schools, public schools and hagwons. A hagwon is a private school specializing in one or two topics. Usually, the most common hagwons are for Math and English, but there are also art and music hagwons in Seoul. Most Korean parents aspire for their children to be the best in their classes, and if they can afford it, they send their children to one or two different hagwons after their regular school day.
Most expats send their children to International schools, as the system most reflects that of their home country. There is also very little English in Korean public schools (usually only one or two classes per day). Korean public schools are open on Saturdays and during the summer. There is a long holiday in the winter, but Korean children do not experience summer or weekend vacations in the same manner as children from other countries.
