School Life in Korea (한국의 학교생활)

01 Daycare Center & Kindergarten 어린이집 & 유치원•8
What You’ll Learn
• At what age can kids start attending daycare or kindergarten?
• What does a typical day look like at these facilities?
• How can parents get in touch with the facilities?
Keywords: Home Daycare Centers│English Kindergartens│Full-Day Programs│Children’s Play Cafés│Birthday Parties│Child Health Checkups
A Mother’s Diary: Who Knew Sending a Child to Kindergarten Was This Hard?

02 Elementary School 초등학교•16
What You’ll Learn
• What school supplies do elementary school students need?
• What subjects do they study at school?
• What do they usually do after school?
Keywords: Open Classes│School Lunches│After-School Classes │After-School Child Care Program│Survival Swimming Classes│Experiential Learning Leave Application
A Mother’s Diary: A Day That Felt Like Starting Elementary School Again

03 Middle School 중학교•25
What You’ll Learn
• What subjects do middle school students study in Korea?
• How is students’ academic performance assessed?
• What is dating like for middle school students?
Keywords: School Uniforms│Seniors & Juniors│Study Cafés│Menstrual Leave│Middle School Syndrome
A Mother’s Diary: How Should I Handle My Child’s Extreme Mood Swings Throughout the Day?

04 High School 고등학교•33
What You’ll Learn
• What subjects do high school students study in Korea?
• What kinds of school events do they participate in?
• What causes the most stress for high school students?
Keywords: Specialized High Schools│Third Year of High School│Snack Shop│School Festivals│School Life Record Book
A Mother’s Diary: Thoughts on Whether College Is Really Necessary

05 College Admissions & Suneung 대학입시 & 수능•41
What You’ll Learn
• What does it take to get into a university in Korea?
• What kind of exam is the Suneung (CSAT)?
• How do students prepare for the Suneung?
Keywords: First-Class Star Instructors│College Admissions Results │Grade Cut-Off Scores│Difficult Suneung│Partial Repeaters│Special Offers for Suneung-Takers
A Mother’s Diary: Avoiding All Exam-Related Superstitions

06 Teachers 선생님•49
What You’ll Learn
• What kinds of teachers work in Korean schools?
• What do homeroom teachers do in each school level?
• How do teachers teach and interact with students?
Keywords: A Casual Term for Teacher│Teacher’s Office│Teacher’s Day│Backbiting│Corporal Punishment Ban
A Mother’s Diary: Mission Accomplished─Buying Teacher’s Day Gifts

07 Peer Relationships 교우관계•58
What You’ll Learn
• How do students build friendships in Korea?
• What kinds of things do they do with their friends?
• How are serious conflicts between peers handled?
Keywords: Bestie│Friendship Ring│“Would You Rather” Game│Coin Singing Room│A Bullied Person
A Mother’s Diary: My Child, a Bully?

08 After-School Classes 방과후교실•65
What You’ll Learn
• What are after-school classes in Korea?
• How do after-school classes differ at each school level?
• What are the benefits of after-school classes?
Keywords: Dual-Income Households│Working Mom│Hagwon Hoping│Preemptive Learning│School Banking
A Mother’s Diary: Why I Look Forward to Mondays

09 School Lunches 급식•73
What You’ll Learn
• Do all schools in Korea serve school meals?
• What types of food are included in school lunches?
• What if a student can’t eat something on the menu?
Keywords: Nutritionists & Cooks│Meal Carts│Spoons and Chopsticks│Legendary│Table Manners Education
A Mother’s Diary: The Egg War

10 Multicultural Students 다문화 학생•80
What You’ll Learn
• How do students from multicultural backgrounds study in Korea?
• What school activities are available for them?
• How do they choose their future career?
Keywords: Children Who Enter Korea Midway│Mentoring│Community Learning Centers│Formal & Informal Speech│Family Titles
A Mother’s Diary: My Child Is Gradually Adjusting to Korean School Life

11 Private Education 사교육•88
What You’ll Learn
• What types of private education are available in Korea?
• What kinds of hagwons (private academies) exist?
• What should be considered when choosing a hagwon?
Keywords: Hyper-Competitive School Districts│Daechi-dong Hagwon District│Level Test│Past Exam Questions│Cram│Students Who Give Up on Math│Disappearing
A Mother’s Diary: Should We Move or Not?

12 Special Education 특수교육•97
What You’ll Learn
• How is special education provided in Korea?
• Can students with disabilities learn alongside their peers?
• What support do schools provide for students with disabilities?
Keywords: Inclusive Education│Welfare Centers│Vocational Training│Special Admissions for Students with Disabilities│Social Service Personnel
A Mother’s Diary: Independence Day

13 Online classes 온라인 교육•105
What You’ll Learn
• Is online education widely used in Korean schools today?
• How is online learning used in private education?
• What are the advantages of online education?
Keywords: Zoom Class│Tablet│Mute│Secretly Using a Phone│Eating Show
A Mother’s Diary: Even Better!

Useful Websites•111
About the Author•112

In the first year of middle school, however, one of the two semesters is often designated as a jayul hakgije (자율학기제, free semester), during which students are exempt from written exams like midterms and finals. Instead, they spend that semester exploring different career paths, joining creative projects, and participating in self-directed learning activities.

-Middle School (중학교)

Ip-gyeol (입결) is short for ipsi gyeolgwa (입시 결과) and refers to the academic records of students admitted to a particular university. Based on the previous year’s admission results, prospective students can estimate the scores needed to get into their desired universities and gauge the level of competition. However, as admission results vary each year, students are advised to base their strategies on data from the past three to four years.

-College Admissions & Suneung (대학입시 & 수능)

Gongbubang is a space where children gather after school to study. In particular, hangugeo gongbubang (한국어 공부방) is a Korean language study room where people from diverse backgrounds learn Korean together. These study rooms are usually run by local communities, religious organizations, or multicultural family support centers. They provide a comfortable and supportive learning environment, and teachers or volunteers assist students with challenging subjects. Here, students can also enjoy snacks, play games, and participate in various activities with friends.

−Multicultural Students (다문화 학생)