Most of us have heard about how excessive Koreans are about education. Students will go to school all year around with very little breaks. Parents invest heavily in their kid’s educations and will go to great lengths to give their child an edge over the next kid. The future of their child usually determines their future as well.
It’s very common to find students going to public school during the day and private academies at night. We know of several students who start their day at 7am and are walking home at 1am or later. It has gotten so out of hand that the government is creating laws that will prevent private institutions from staying open past 11pm.
Kids don’t know what to do if they are not studying. I believe in education but this is a little much. There is so much pressure on these students to succeed that the suicide rate has increased in recent years.
During the student’s, so called “Winter Vacation” many of them are still studying very hard. I have taught at the same country school for the past three years and one of my favorite parts about teaching is winter classes. Yes, you read that right! What is cool about this is every year our school provides free classes for families/students who can’t afford private school. The hope is it will give these student an opportunity to compete with the families who can pay for private classes. One of the biggest reasons why these students want to come to school is not necessarily for learning as much as it is a place where they can stay warm and get a small meal during the day. The parents are away at work and most Korean homes in the countryside are in poor condition and not properly heated.
I love these classes because they have less students than normal and I can get to know each kid better. My whole goal is to keep things light and give these students the opportunity to be kids. We play fun English games and I like to bring in a little something extra like food and snacks. Each year we invite the student over to our house for a special lunch. Most of them have never been to a teachers house let alone a western style home.
The other day one of the students who never speaks during the school year actually felt comfortable to speak in class. When he got the answer right he had a smile on his face for the rest of the day! This is what teaching is all about.
- Pray that we finish our time in South Korea well as we accomplish the things we were sent here to accomplish
- Pray that we continue to find opportunities to share our faith with the students during these winter classes
- Pray that God will give Nicholas the strength as he train for the North Just+Hope Tour this summer
- Pray that God will send people our way who will support us as we start an International Discipleship School in Northern Italy. Here is our last newsletter in PDF form: January2012Update
- Protection, Provision, and good Health for our family during this year of transition
