The beginning.

Unlike other students, student teachers (교생) at Chonnam National University, have to take 6-week long practicum which is 2 weeks longer than other student teachers. As a representative of the student teachers from music, physics, and mathematics departments, I flew into China after 2 weeks of training in Korea. I am assigned to the Qingdao Chungwoon Korean School.

This is very strange experience. No one from the Chonnam region has ever tried this before. This Korean School has the same curriculum as elementary, junior high, and high schools in Korea. Once students graduate from this school, they can move to Korea and continue to study. This school was founded 2006, in 2008 this school was accredited by the Ministry of Education. This is the way the students continue to study either in Korea or in China.

Differences

1.     This school has a minimum of two or three classes in one grade. Through out the whole 12 grades, there are only 26 classes, altogether.

2.     Three different levels of schools share one playground, so it is very energetic during lunch time. I’ve never seen such an energetic playground since my elementary school years.

3.     English and Chinese are the most important subjects at this school. They take more than 15 hours every week out of 40 hours of class hours.

4.     The number of students in a class is around 20.

5.     Students who have lived in China for more than 3 years do not have to take the university entrance exam.

Things that I have never expected to see.

1.     Students go to private academies almost everyday.

2.     They do not have to use Chinese in School.

3.     Students do not feel free and they, like their counterparts in Korea, get a lot of stress from studying English and Chinese.

4.     One principal takes charge of whole three schools. He is a superman. He also is from Gwangju like me.

These things are only superficial facts that I’ve observed over my first week. So far, Qingdao Chungwoon School is full of hope and both students and teachers who came from all parts of Korea get along with each other well and peacefully manage a school.