For some reason my eyes have been opened recently to the level of violence that exists in my school. On one day last week, just as I was entering the building I witnessed a teacher smack a 15-year old boy across the forehead because he wore his street shoes into the school building. I also found out about a girl-gang in the local area, the leader of which is an eighth-grade student at my school. Apparently she has a group of underlings who regularly go to the elementary schools nearby and shake down the sixth-graders for pocket change. She's like the Tony Soprano of the Buk-bu school district.
Just a couple of days ago, a kid in one of my classes was sporting an eye patch. I asked if he had pink eye because I'd heard it was going around. He answered, through my co-teacher, that he'd been hit by an older boy. He said he didn't know why, it was just a random attack. Most people I've told that story to doubt it was really that random. I only have his word to go by, but I have no reason to doubt him. He was embarrassed to have to admit in class that he'd been beat up, which made me feel bad. I apologized for embarrassing him, but I'm not sure if he understood.
Finally, last night I spoke with a young Korean-American guy I met recently, who spent his early childhood in the Korean school system. He corroborated the stories of violence, and added the importance of the hierarchy factor. i.e. a lower grade student who disrespects an upper grade student will likely be made to regret it.
These are just the things I've witnessed personally. I have read and heard stories of even worse incidents from around the country, gang violence, sexual assault, the occasional teacher who loses his shit and pummels a student. Violence begets violence. The kids are certainly getting an education, but one that is found nowhere in the code of the National Curriculum. The quality of public education is a hot topic in this country, as it is just about anywhere. Almost anyone you ask inside the system or out would agree that Korean education is in need of a major overhaul, but if the school itself is not a safe place, haven't the schools failed at an even more basic level than that?
Just a couple of days ago, a kid in one of my classes was sporting an eye patch. I asked if he had pink eye because I'd heard it was going around. He answered, through my co-teacher, that he'd been hit by an older boy. He said he didn't know why, it was just a random attack. Most people I've told that story to doubt it was really that random. I only have his word to go by, but I have no reason to doubt him. He was embarrassed to have to admit in class that he'd been beat up, which made me feel bad. I apologized for embarrassing him, but I'm not sure if he understood.
Finally, last night I spoke with a young Korean-American guy I met recently, who spent his early childhood in the Korean school system. He corroborated the stories of violence, and added the importance of the hierarchy factor. i.e. a lower grade student who disrespects an upper grade student will likely be made to regret it.
These are just the things I've witnessed personally. I have read and heard stories of even worse incidents from around the country, gang violence, sexual assault, the occasional teacher who loses his shit and pummels a student. Violence begets violence. The kids are certainly getting an education, but one that is found nowhere in the code of the National Curriculum. The quality of public education is a hot topic in this country, as it is just about anywhere. Almost anyone you ask inside the system or out would agree that Korean education is in need of a major overhaul, but if the school itself is not a safe place, haven't the schools failed at an even more basic level than that?
Labels: life in Korea
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