Look Farther, Think Deeper, Operate more Power
* Our Hope, Education
 Education! Now, education is a keyword of ours. Lately, citizens have been stupid masses. Under dictatorships in the past, people read many print media and discuss about social issues against dictatorship in theory. But nowadays, there is an another situation. In a wealthy environment, students or businessmen invest only money for their safety and danger without worrying about this situation, national future and intellectual development by themselves. Once our nation occupied the tail on the international general information test, so this truth can be a base to the situation of being stupid masses.
 

* The current education
 Deputy Prime Minister of Education Ahn Byung-young gives suggestion about the necessity of a radical reform of the school system on Oct 4th. Our school system is '6-3-3-4' and this system has existed since being established in 1951. The suggestion about reform of school system existed in 1966, but it wasn't operated. Minister Ahn said "If we consider the level of children growth, the situation which an infant education becomes public education and delay of job age, this time would be a good time to discuss a change of the school system." and "I think this problem is an agenda that has to be thought until next year." However, we shouldn't focus on only this problem of education. It is the advanced; unifying, rearing, strengthening, renovation of local universities and upgrading of universities' quality through a business "Brain Korea 21", and so on.

 As quickly as the society has changed, we must reform our education keeping pace with the changes of society. Then, how are we seeking to reform education? To solve this problem, I knocked the door of the Presidential Committee on Education Innovation.

Member, Standing Committee,
Chang, Seung-Gyu Ph.D. (Prof. Woosuk Univ. )
 The presidential education reform committee made a wide frame, changing from admiration-almighty-doctrine to self-supporting of 'unit school'. We think it is the most urgent business to reduce the faculty of main admiration and bringing making the education system to suit our nation.

Specialist Standing Committee Kim, Sung - Geun
1. paradigm of 21C
 In the past, people studied to rise their social position. But now, they study for their dream and interests.

 Also, In the past the meaning of 'a doctor' was just a men who has much knowledge but now, it is a job. It reflects our society's state that is changing from the industry period to the information basis period. Now our society is changing to an intellectual basis society. This time's bill about KSAT reflects this paradigm.

2. From Standardizing to Pluralism through Changing of Paradigm

 Prior education was a system setting up students in one line but from now on we must stand them in several lines. We shouldn't praise only a student who learns well because students have distinguished abilities. And our final goal is to avoid distinctions and recognize differences among them. ‘Who is an excellent student?' It does not have to be decided by marks. Also, the university education system should be renovated. We have a great goal to growing specialized universities in each parts. We can find a good model about 'making a specialist in each area in America universities. In America, supreme of law is Harvard and the best of engineering faculty is MIT, and they have many other expert universities in each area. Therefore, we can't make a discrimination among their universities' superiority.

3. A frequent changing of education policy; a positive situation 

 Until now, our government have practiced education reforms nationally. But this system has many problems. For example, it is so low and can't keep pace with social changes. Also, the government can't avoid a profit corporation because the organizations have some power to affect national problems. So, we suggest a way to make a self-managed method by 'unit school'. If we can manage our education by a little unit, it could improve faster than now and more changes would happen.
 Some people criticize the frequent policy changes but I think they are very mean men and the changes are a very positive phenomenon. They also criticize education reforms but we faced an urgent situation that required the changes of teachers, textbooks and curriculum. The critics think the past education studied themselves so they compare the present education to past standards. But this limit is the chief cause that is turning over our education against a flexible changing process of age.

4. It is a Urgent Situation to Change Our Education

 In the case of America, they regarded the education reform as a priority task when Clinton was the president ten years ago and as a result, their education approached in this situation. They could achieve a successful goal as a result of recognizing the seriousness about poor education and practicing a revolutionary education. We need to reform the education system radically and revolutionarily.

 If we see their opinion from another perspective, it can just be a ideal proposal. If we want to promote these education policies in reality, people must be ready to suffer and support, because when it change, it follows side effects. And lawmakers make a foundation to operate this proposal as an actual policy.

 When education became an urgent problem of ours is after former Education Minister Lee Hai-chan took office. His education policy utterly failed. Because the policy's contents was 'if students is good at one part, they could enter a university' but without basic study ability and knowledge, a distinguished ability can't be used. Although his policy had a great meaning, there was an insufficient amount of preparation. And his policy introduced American education but he didn't the  study enough about applying to us. Of course, in the future we may introduce other developed country's education, then we must remember this fault. We should not just insist reforming at the right time. In the time to come, we have to develop a system suitable to our environment and minimize the side effects.

By Kim Hyun-jin
Social & Political reporter