Korea calling…

Australian and Korean schools are connecting digitally in order to develop cultural exchange while fostering understanding between Australian and Korean students and teachers. Through video conferencing and online discussions, they see each other, talk to each other, and learn about each other. These interactions enhance the values and attitudes of Australian and Korean school students.The project is based at the University of New England (UNE) and you can visit the Australia Korea ConneXion website here.

Mr Pike was busy organising his classes itinerary with  the Korean UNE advisor and the school in Korea all via video conferencing today. The Korean principal even joined the teachers as they discussed time differences and topics. South Korea is currently 2 hours behind us so working out times wasn’t too difficult.

Did you know students start school at around 9am and will generally finish at about 3pm (high school hours are 8am-9.30pm!) After school the majority of the students attend a hagwon, which is a private academy that offers extra tuition. There are many different types of hagwons; maths, science, art, English… and the types of hagwons the student attends will usually depend on what subjects the parents want their child to excel in.

Students take Maths, Science, Social studies, Korean, Music, PE and Art classes at school. They also usually study a musical instrument, most commonly the piano,violin or flute. The public school system is very good and all the teachers at the school are dedicated and highly educated professionals.

Another interesting difference to our school is  that in Korean public schools there are no cleaners. After lunch in the cafeteria students are assigned different areas of the school to mop, sweep, dust and wipe. In order to help keep their school clean, teachers and students wear special indoor shoes that they change into as they arrive at school. Information sourced Expat Arrivals

The first VC session is in April so stay tuned!

Mrs Booth