It's a depressing read. But something that strengthens my resolve to give my son the opportunity to grow up outside of Korea. He loves playing. But that ability will get squandered in the coming years as academic pressure will keep building. He's 5. I already see kids his age suffering from the pressure their parents put them through.
Kim Hye-min (not her real name) has taught high school students in Seoul for over a decade. Over the years, she has watched many of her students struggle with depression and exhaustion from academic pressure. In her classroom alone, more than five students receive psychiatric counseling for depression.
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Even during break time at school, many do not go outside to play.
In a survey of 2,450 elementary schools by the teachers’ union, 90.4 percent of children said they spent their break time in the classroom doing things related to “private academies, study worksheets or online classes.”
Lee Joon-gi, an elementary school teacher in Gwangju and a member of the education creator group Gummongle, said the trend of students not heading out to playgrounds during lunch break has become more noticeable since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many schools closed playgrounds during the pandemic.
When they reopened it, complaints from parents surged, Lee said.
“Even minor incidents on the playground led to an outpouring of parental complaints, so schools began keeping students indoors during breaks,” Lee said. Additionally, new government policies requiring various safety and extracurricular education further reduced the time available for free play.
Staying in the classroom often means many would end up playing alone or with a small group of close friends.
“Many kids today have little or no experience playing with friends. Even when given the chance to play, they don’t know how to play. Screen time has replaced social time. The quality of their play has deteriorated,” the teacher said.