USAGE: 

High School fics! There's a lot of them about so this could be pretty useful for those of you who want to make yours as realistic as possible. The author of this information in particular had information directly from the source (Koreans) so this is a very interesting and useful read. The whole tumblr that this was posted on is useful, in fact, so make sure to check it out (link in the credits). 

* Image taken from Instructional System. Find Link for full artical in credits. 

 KOREAN EDUCATION & SCHOOLS: 

Note: No, this does not mean all schools. This post is general and meant to give a better understanding of the school system for non-Korean Kpop fanfiction writers. No, I am not Korean. I am Chinese. I used to go to high school in Korea as a first year student (freshman) in high school but transferred out due to personal reasons. To be able to compile this info post, I interviewed one of the upperclassmen at my school ( Korean transfer ) as well as asking my Korean pen pal. On top of that, I did my own research.

Grades and Classes

There are many differences between the US educational system and the South Korean educational system. For one, high schools have three grades. In America, it would be 10th grade through 12th grade. In Korea, it’s First Grade to Third Grade. Junior High schools are 7th grade through 9th and are also referred to as First/Second/Third Grade. Elementary schools are from grades Pre K-6th. Again, it all really depends on where you are from and what school they are. Basically, if you were to introduce yourself, you would say, "I am so-and-so, from so-and-so-school. I am a First Grade student in high school."

High schools in Korea are divided into academic and vocational schools. In their first year ( in a vocational school ), students follow a normal national curriculum, Once they reach second and third year, the students are then offered courses relevant to their specialization.

Unlike Western schools, students do not switch classes. The teachers do. If your can’t picture that, think about it as like staying with your homeroom class for the entire day. You pretty much sit in your classroom for 8+ hours, listening to lectures, with people you may or may not even like. The schools day is usually made up of six to seven 50-minute classes. After each class, there is a ten minute break for teachers to switch. They have an hour lunch break. And every day, after school, students clean their own classrooms. ( The memories of that haunt me. )

School usually starts 8 but many students get to school early. Most schools have at least a half hour block period in the morning before classes begin just for self-study or listening to class administration. Typically, the school week if from Monday to Friday with Saturday reserved for CA Lessons ( Club Activity Lessons/Extracurricular Day ). This started in 2008 up until 2012. Since 2012, schools will no longer hold Saturday classes.

Many students, regardless of their grade, are tutored within or outside school grounds. As many of you already know, Koreans are very strict when it comes to grades. Not only grades but going to the best schools. Sometimes, the name of the university ( or any school really ) that is written on their personal records are more important than the student’s skills.

National Curriculum

The elementary curriculum consists of nine subjects: Korean language, mathematics, science, social studies physical education, fine arts, music, practical art, and moral education. The English language is now becoming a more practiced subject in elementary schools and usually start around third grade. Students do not learn the grammatical aspects of the English language, rather the ability to converse in English.

Upon entering junior high school, students are now exposed to a twelve subject curriculum. This curriculum contains the previous nine as well as electives and extracurricular activities. Elementary school teachers teach all subjects while junior/high school, like Western teachers, are specialized in their subject.

Having been taught in a Korean school as well as an American school, I think I can safely say that education is completely different. Korean education is focused more on memorizing and is very limited. Sure, Koreans may be the highest ranked in mathematical skills but more often, they cannot think out of the box. ( I’m not saying that all Koreans are not creative. ) A lot of my Korean friends can solve a problem right on the spot, like a machine. Even they agree that when it comes to artistic projects, they get stumped. In my experience, I can remember my teachers telling us to know exactly what we had read. It was literally like memorizing the textbook word-for-word. Now in Western education, they focus on developing practical skills and active learning. 

( This is not to say that either school system is better or worse. )

Strict Uniform Codes

Almost all junior high/high schools wear uniforms. A majority of elementary schools and some private elementary schools do not require school uniforms. More than half the time, Korean dramas wrongly depict school uniforms. Starting from junior high school and up, uniforms are strictly monitored.

In most public Western schools, they do not require school uniforms while others do. Almost all Western private schools wear a school uniform that consists of a collared shirt, neck accessory (eg: basic tie, criss-cross ties, etc. ) and a sweater/vest/blazer/cardigan. Skirts for girls and pants for boys. Socks are usually cable knit knee-highs or crew socks. This is the same for South Korean schools that have uniforms. 

Back then ( for both South Korean schools and Western schools ) nail polish and make-up were not allowed. Now many schools are lenient with that. They also give students a bit more freedom with hairstyles but they still can’t be completely crazy.

School teaches are dead serious when it comes to following the dress code. Most schools require the student to wear a name tag that includes their name, grade and homeroom number at all times. Girls skirts may not go above the knee ( this is a big one that Korean dramas portray wrongly ) and boys must always button up their shirt. In regards to hairstyles, many schools require boys to have crew cuts and girls may not wear their hair beyond the bottoms of their necks. I think nowadays, that is being eliminated but schools are still strict with hair color and punk-style haircuts. Oh and forget about tattoos and piercings other than your earlobes.

- Admin Xiu

 CREDITS: 

• Korean Schools - How To Survive AFF (I had to slim it down slightly, so please read the full post in respect of the one who wrote it).

Additional:

1. Education In South Korea
2. Korean Schools: Long Days = High Results
3. South Korean Education
4. [Image Used]: Instructional Systems - South Korea