Hagwon
Encyclopedia
Hagwon (also hagweon or hakwon) is the Korean-language word for a for-profit private institute, academy or cram-school prevalent in South Korea
. The term is also sometimes used to describe similar institutions operated by Korean Americans in the United States
. The industry faces criticism because it is seen as creating an unequal footing between the poor and rich in Korea, while some see hagwons as filling a need not being adequately met by the public school system. Children of all ages often attend hagwons, even those in the pre-school age bracket. It is not uncommon for students to be enrolled in several hagwon of different subject areas at once in addition to their normal school attendance. Hagwons often specialize in subjects like mathematics, foreign languages, science, arts, or music. Many hagwons also have adults as students, particularly those dedicated to teaching the English language. Some in Korean society view hagwons and their owners negatively because of the perception that these schools have caused economic issues for many families or been a factor in the disparity between the education levels of different social classes. In 2008 it was reported that there were over 70,000 hagwons in South Korea with 47 percent of them focused on high school enrollment.
founded the Paichai school as a cover for his missionary work. At the time it was illegal to preach other religions in Korea. Although his main goal was to spread his faith, it was still used to learn English by Koreans.
Private education, known as kwa-oe (과외), was banned by President Chun Doo-hwan
in 1980. It was felt the advantage of private education unfairly burdened the poor and to promote equality, all access to it was made illegal. Through the years the government has relaxed the restrictions on private education by increasingly allowing more individuals and organizations to offer private education until the ban was ruled unconstitutional in the 1990s.
Korean courts have ruled that it may violate the constitution for the government to limit the amount of money hagwons can charge. In early 2008, the Seoul
government was working on changes to the regulations to allow hagwons to set their own hours, citing individual choice as trumping regulation. However, the government reversed its position five days later. The regulations were criticized as ineffective because the city council possessed limited resources to monitor and enforce them. Along with these restrictions, hagwons also had to disclose their tuition amounts to the government so people could complain if the schools attempted to raise the tuition. as well hagwons caught running false advertisements would have their licenses revoked, and they were required to issue cash receipts. In July 2009, to help catch violators of these new regulations, the government started a program to reward people who reported them. The regulations were intended to reduce the cost of private education. However, some hagwons added weekend classes to compensate for shorter weekday classes. Other parents have sought out private tutors to make up for lost study time. Other hagwons simply ignored the regulations. It was reported in April 2009 that 67 percent of hagwons sampled were found to have overcharged for tuition. Forty percent were found to have charged parents over two times the registered tuition amount.
In March 2008, the government prohibited school teachers from creating test questions for hagwons. It had been found that some teachers were leaking tests and test questions to hagwons, giving the students who attended those schools advantages when it came time to take the test.
A petition was made in October 2009 by parents, teachers, students and hagwon owners to challenge the government's legislation regarding hagwon closing times in Seoul and Busan. The constitutional court ruled that the laws did not violate the constitution. The restriction was put in place for Seoul and Busan in the summer of 2009. In making the ruling the court said, "Because it’s important to secure sleep for high school students to overcome fatigue and for the sake of their growth, it’s difficult to say that [the ban] excessively restricts basic rights." Whiz Education became the first foreign-owned hagwon franchise to operate in South Korea in September of 2009 reaching 47 schools by October 2010.
In April 2010 it was reported that there were over 25,000 hagwon registered with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, with nearly 6,000 being in the Gangnam area. It was also revealed that local government councils other than Seoul had decided not to implement the 22:00 curfew. The curfew was seen as not having an impact on education fees and not addressing the real concern with private education. Despite the curfew, there has been attempts of going around this curfew among hagwons in Seoul.
area, specifically Daechi-dong
, has been cited as the primary reason for an increase in real estate costs in the area. In the 1970s the Seoul government made some top schools relocate to the area; however, the schools there have become associated with entry into elite high schools and then elite universities. Many residents feel their children need to be associated with these schools in order to reach the upper levels of business and success. As more parents try to move to the area to allow their children to attend these schools it has caused the prices of real estate in the area to rise to 300 percent of similar areas in Seoul. In 2003 the government had planned to develop a hagwon center in Pangyo
to relieve some of the pressure on Gangnam, yet after heavy criticism for only shifting the problem around and not solving it, the government canceled the plan only a couple weeks later.
, Canada
, Ireland
, New Zealand
, South Africa
, or United Kingdom
, and a four-year college degree obtained in one of the aforementioned countries. In return for signing a one-year contract, the institute provides an instructor with a monthly salary, round-trip airfare from his or her country of origin, a rent-free apartment or housing stipend for the duration of the instructor's contract, and an additional one month "severance pay" at the completion of the contract.
Foreign
instructors hold a mixed view of hagwons. Many instructors have had no significant issues with the hagwons they've worked at; on the other hand, some instructors have reported, or worry about, being fired prematurely so the hagwon can avoid paying the bonus and airfare due to the teacher. Some teachers have also complained about apartment conditions, problems with health insurance, pensions, vacation, and wages. Hagwon owners have complained about the challenge in finding truly qualified teachers. A group of English instructors first formed a labour union at a hagwon in 2005.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The term is also sometimes used to describe similar institutions operated by Korean Americans in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The industry faces criticism because it is seen as creating an unequal footing between the poor and rich in Korea, while some see hagwons as filling a need not being adequately met by the public school system. Children of all ages often attend hagwons, even those in the pre-school age bracket. It is not uncommon for students to be enrolled in several hagwon of different subject areas at once in addition to their normal school attendance. Hagwons often specialize in subjects like mathematics, foreign languages, science, arts, or music. Many hagwons also have adults as students, particularly those dedicated to teaching the English language. Some in Korean society view hagwons and their owners negatively because of the perception that these schools have caused economic issues for many families or been a factor in the disparity between the education levels of different social classes. In 2008 it was reported that there were over 70,000 hagwons in South Korea with 47 percent of them focused on high school enrollment.
History and regulations
In 1885, Henry AppenzellerHenry Appenzeller
Rev. Henry Gerhard Appenzeller was a Methodist missionary and one of three American missionaries who introduced Protestant Christianity into Korea in 1885....
founded the Paichai school as a cover for his missionary work. At the time it was illegal to preach other religions in Korea. Although his main goal was to spread his faith, it was still used to learn English by Koreans.
Private education, known as kwa-oe (과외), was banned by President Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan was a ROK Army general and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. Chun was sentenced to death in 1996 for his heavy-handed response to the Gwangju Democratization Movement, but later pardoned by President Kim Young-sam with the advice of then President-elect Kim Dae-jung,...
in 1980. It was felt the advantage of private education unfairly burdened the poor and to promote equality, all access to it was made illegal. Through the years the government has relaxed the restrictions on private education by increasingly allowing more individuals and organizations to offer private education until the ban was ruled unconstitutional in the 1990s.
Korean courts have ruled that it may violate the constitution for the government to limit the amount of money hagwons can charge. In early 2008, the Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
government was working on changes to the regulations to allow hagwons to set their own hours, citing individual choice as trumping regulation. However, the government reversed its position five days later. The regulations were criticized as ineffective because the city council possessed limited resources to monitor and enforce them. Along with these restrictions, hagwons also had to disclose their tuition amounts to the government so people could complain if the schools attempted to raise the tuition. as well hagwons caught running false advertisements would have their licenses revoked, and they were required to issue cash receipts. In July 2009, to help catch violators of these new regulations, the government started a program to reward people who reported them. The regulations were intended to reduce the cost of private education. However, some hagwons added weekend classes to compensate for shorter weekday classes. Other parents have sought out private tutors to make up for lost study time. Other hagwons simply ignored the regulations. It was reported in April 2009 that 67 percent of hagwons sampled were found to have overcharged for tuition. Forty percent were found to have charged parents over two times the registered tuition amount.
In March 2008, the government prohibited school teachers from creating test questions for hagwons. It had been found that some teachers were leaking tests and test questions to hagwons, giving the students who attended those schools advantages when it came time to take the test.
A petition was made in October 2009 by parents, teachers, students and hagwon owners to challenge the government's legislation regarding hagwon closing times in Seoul and Busan. The constitutional court ruled that the laws did not violate the constitution. The restriction was put in place for Seoul and Busan in the summer of 2009. In making the ruling the court said, "Because it’s important to secure sleep for high school students to overcome fatigue and for the sake of their growth, it’s difficult to say that [the ban] excessively restricts basic rights." Whiz Education became the first foreign-owned hagwon franchise to operate in South Korea in September of 2009 reaching 47 schools by October 2010.
In April 2010 it was reported that there were over 25,000 hagwon registered with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, with nearly 6,000 being in the Gangnam area. It was also revealed that local government councils other than Seoul had decided not to implement the 22:00 curfew. The curfew was seen as not having an impact on education fees and not addressing the real concern with private education. Despite the curfew, there has been attempts of going around this curfew among hagwons in Seoul.
Impact on real estate
A higher than average concentration of hagwons in the Gangnam-guGangnam-gu
Gangnam-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the most affluent areas of Seoul and is located in the southeast of the city...
area, specifically Daechi-dong
Daechi-dong
Daechi-dong is a dong in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Daechi-dong is divided into 4 different “dongs” which are Daechi-1-dong, 2-dong, 3-dong, and 4-dong. The real estate price is very high due to the many hagwons in the area. There is also a stream called Yangjaecheon that runs through the...
, has been cited as the primary reason for an increase in real estate costs in the area. In the 1970s the Seoul government made some top schools relocate to the area; however, the schools there have become associated with entry into elite high schools and then elite universities. Many residents feel their children need to be associated with these schools in order to reach the upper levels of business and success. As more parents try to move to the area to allow their children to attend these schools it has caused the prices of real estate in the area to rise to 300 percent of similar areas in Seoul. In 2003 the government had planned to develop a hagwon center in Pangyo
Pangyo
Pangyo refers to a planned city surrounding Pangyo-dong, Baekhyeon-dong, Unjung-dong, and Sampyeong-dong of Bundang-gu and Siheung-dong and Sasong-dong of Sujeong-gu ....
to relieve some of the pressure on Gangnam, yet after heavy criticism for only shifting the problem around and not solving it, the government canceled the plan only a couple weeks later.
English-language instructors
Native English speakers were hired as early as 1883 in Korea, originally out of need. The first teacher hired at the government-run Tongmunhak was Thomas Hallifax. Due to the preference for having native English speakers teach English, many native English-speakers are still hired to teach at hagwons in Korea. These hagwons may be only English schools or they could also be schools which have a variety of subjects including English. The minimum requirements for foreigners for such teaching positions are citizenship of America, AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, or United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and a four-year college degree obtained in one of the aforementioned countries. In return for signing a one-year contract, the institute provides an instructor with a monthly salary, round-trip airfare from his or her country of origin, a rent-free apartment or housing stipend for the duration of the instructor's contract, and an additional one month "severance pay" at the completion of the contract.
Foreign
Foreigners in Korea
Foreigners in Korea have never been a large portion of the population. Following the partition of Korea in the aftermath of the Korean War, the percent of foreigners in South Korea has risen to 2% of the total population, while North Korea remains racially homogeneous with a small ethnic Chinese...
instructors hold a mixed view of hagwons. Many instructors have had no significant issues with the hagwons they've worked at; on the other hand, some instructors have reported, or worry about, being fired prematurely so the hagwon can avoid paying the bonus and airfare due to the teacher. Some teachers have also complained about apartment conditions, problems with health insurance, pensions, vacation, and wages. Hagwon owners have complained about the challenge in finding truly qualified teachers. A group of English instructors first formed a labour union at a hagwon in 2005.