Hong’s Cave

We were watching some Korean TV programs recorded on the ReplayTV off of a local station, and there was a segment about MinJokSaGwan GoDeungHakGyo in HoengSeong, KangWon-do.

It looked like a specialized high school and from the name I thought it was one of those government funded elite schools (well, “MinJok” (race, nation, people, etc.) sounded like a lot like a government work), but it turns out this is a private high school founded in 1993 by the founder of Pasteur Milk and is also funded by the company. Incidentally, there is a news item about Pasteur Milk being sold to another company.

Anyway, the TV segment introduced the school as aspiring to become the Korean “Eton School”. There were several interesting things about the school from other “normal” Korean high schools. Everyone lives in dorms. The school uniforms were hanbok-based. The classes seem to be small and everyone seems to be quite involved. Most students go to colleges abroad (mostly in the U.S.). They have a policy called “EOP” (English-Only Policy) that forces students to use English unless it is an emergency. And they have surveillance cameras in every dorm room (”Wha-wha-what!”).

Well, I thought the EOP was pushing a bit and somewhat oxymoronic for a school with a name that sounds very nationalistic. Also, the fact that most of their students going to the U.S. colleges sounded a bit weird. To me that sounds more like a brain-drain. And from my experience, the college years seem quite important in adjusting to the society, so I am not sure how well those students will adjust coming back, if they ever.

But the most shocking thing for me, was the surveillance camera on the ceiling in every dorm room (there was no separate bedroom / study room) that a teacher-on-duty uses to monitor students. How does this prepare the future “leaders” of our country?

Well, the female student who were asked if the camera does not bother her, said they only use it during the self-study (another oxymoronic term) period, so she got used to it and don’t mind. EVEN IF these cameras were used only during a limited period time, what the h*ll does it teach about the individual’s privacy and rights? Especially when these students attend colleges aboard. If they shared this particular high school experience, what would that say about Korea?

I mean, I think I am okay with someone making a round periodically, but surveillance cameras? P-lease….

And during a web surfing on this school, I also realized that there are heavy corporal punishment (”heavy” as in “till the stick breaks”). And that is whole another story…