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Insights from Cha Woo-gyu, President of Korea National University of Education: The Present and Future of Korean Education

By Shin In-ho (CEO of The Mond | 기사입력 2025/01/06 [11:27]

Insights from Cha Woo-gyu, President of Korea National University of Education: The Present and Future of Korean Education

By Shin In-ho (CEO of The Mond | 입력 : 2025/01/06 [11:27]

South Korea has achieved remarkable progress in a short span of time, garnering global admiration. However, this success has come with significant challenges. Recent incidents, such as teacher suicides and demographic concerns like the declining birth rate, have created complex social hurdles. Moreover, the rapid advancements in AI technology demand a reimagining of the future education. Amid these challenges, The Monday Times had the opportunity to speak with President Cha Woo-gyu of Korea National University of Education (KNUE) to gain insights into the current state of Korean education and explore hopeful pathways for its future. -Ed.

 

 



Q: How would you define the power of education, and how would you explain its role in Korea's development?

A:  In the 1970s and 1980s, during my school years, we viewed Western culture and innovations as the most excellent. Western music, cuisine, films, academia, electronics, and automobiles were seen as models for us to emulate. But times have changed. Today, K-pop, K-drama, K-food, K-beauty, K-defense, and even the Korean language have captured global attention. Wherever you go in Korea, it's easy to encounter foreigners, reflecting Korea's heightened international stature.

When I meet leaders from developing nations, I am often asked, "How did Korea achieve such remarkable progress in such a short time?" My immediate response is, "The power of education." While various factors contributed to Korea's development, education stands out as the most concise and accurate answer to the question.

 

Q: Educational fervor has had both positive and negative impacts on Korean society. Could you elaborate on these?

A:  Educational fervor has played a pivotal role in Korea. On the positive side, it has been a driving force behind individual achievement and national development. The highly educated baby boomer generation significantly contributed to Korea's rapid progress.

However, excessive educational zeal has also had adverse effects. Intense competition has led to mental health issues like depression and anxiety among students. The overemphasis on personal success has fostered a lack of community spirit. Moreover, the rising costs of private education have exacerbated social inequality, and a focus on rote learning has stifled creativity. It is now time to emphasize the positive aspects of educational fervor while effectively mitigating its negative impacts to enhance the quality of education.

 

 



Q: What roles should teachers and parents play in fostering a healthy educational zeal? How can they support students effectively?

A:  To channel educational fervor in the right direction, teachers and parents must support students in their holistic development. First, they should help students cultivate balanced character growth through diverse experiences, not just academics. Second, they must encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills based on data, moving beyond rote memorization. Third, they should provide opportunities for communication and collaboration so students can internalize the value of diverse perspectives and teamwork. Fourth, they should guide students to set educational goals that prioritize contributing to society over mere personal success. Fifth, they should help students  sustain a passion for learning and cultivate the attitude to pursue new knowledge. Finally, they should help students clearly set their career paths and focus their efforts in the right direction.

 

Q: You mentioned the importance of authority and trust in the teacher-student relationship. What principles are essential for aligning with the essence of education?

A:  Education requires a foundation of trust and authority between teachers and students. Authority arises when students acknowledge the academic expertise of their teachers, forming the basis of an effective educational dynamic. Conversely, if students do not recognize their teacher’s expertise, meaningful education becomes difficult.

Trust is equally crucial. When students feel respected and genuinely cared for by their teachers, trust develops, enabling authentic learning experiences. True education is achieved when authority grounded in expertise and trust rooted in respect and love coexist between educators and learners.

 

 



Q: With rapid changes in Korean society, such as low birth rates, aging populations, and climate crises, how should future education be designed?

A:  Korea is expected to face even faster and broader changes in the future. Issues like low birth rates, aging populations, climate and environmental crises, AI in education, output-focused methodologies, K-education and vocational education for international students should be reflected in an innovative and progressive direction in our education policy. To address these challenges, education that prepares for the future of Korean society must be implemented. The future success of Korean society depends on how well its education system understands and responds to these societal needs, prepares for them, and consistently implements its strategies.

 

Q: With the growing challenges of low birth rates and aging populations, what proactive role should education play?

A:  South Korea is grappling with severe demographic challenges, including the world's lowest birth rate and the fastest aging population. Scholars like David Coleman have warned of Korea's risk of "population extinction," while Paul Wallace predicts a "population earthquake" by 2030.

In the face of this population crisis, it is necessary to reflect on how effectively our education system has responded. In 1996, the Ministry of Health and Welfare abandoned its policy of birth control and shifted its focus towards improving the quality of the population. However, until 2005, most of the population-related content addressed in educational settings was still based on the birth control policies from the previous era. Even now, there is a lack of systematic population education to address the issues of low birth rates and an aging population.

Therefore, education must now play a more active and leading role in addressing Korea's population crisis. Teacher training and professional development programs should be established to ensure that teachers with expertise in population issues can effectively guide students in schools, and curriculum reform is urgently needed. Additionally, population education should be systematically incorporated into school education to help students develop a correct understanding of the importance of family and family formation (marriage, childbirth, child-rearing, adoption, etc.)

 

Q: How can education tackle the climate crisis and foster a sustainable society?

A: Recently, the world has been facing various crises caused by global warming, such as extreme weather phenomena, melting ice, rising sea levels, and ecosystem destruction. South Korea is no exception, and we are now experiencing unprecedented hot summers, cold winters, fine dust, typhoons, tsunamis, large-scale wildfires, and crop damage, all of which are natural disasters occurring more frequently than ever before. These crises are the result of humans recklessly using and destroying natural resources. These environmental crises now threaten not just individual health and life, but could soon pose a serious threat to the survival of humanity itself.

So, what role should education play in overcoming these climate and environmental crises and achieving sustainable development? To create a sustainable society, we must minimize resource use and adopt renewable energy and eco-friendly technologies. For these policies to be successful, research and development, policy responses, laws and regulations, and the fostering of eco-friendly businesses are necessary. However, the most important factor is that environmental education must be systematically carried out to ensure that all citizens can participate and cooperate.

Environmental education, like population education, is a critical component for the sustainable development of our society. To achieve this, both curricular and extracurricular activities must be interconnected, and the focus should go beyond mere knowledge transfer to include the formation of values and attitudes through communication and participation.

 

Q: AI EdTech plays a significant role in the technological advancement of education. What strategies are effective for utilizing AI in education?

A: AI EdTech is at the forefront of educational technology, playing a crucial role in realizing the long-standing goal of personalized learning for students. In the 1970s, South Korea also introduced the concept of mastery learning and focused on the development of teaching machines. However, at that time, the technology and servers required for big data analysis were not sufficiently developed, so it was difficult to implement personalized education for students.

But with the rapid advancements in AI technology and improvements in big data analysis capabilities, it is now possible to provide education tailored to individual students. The key is to study how to effectively utilize these technologies in a way that does not undermine the essence of education. For AI EdTech to be properly integrated into schools, sufficient pilot studies and strategic approaches are necessary. It should not treat students merely as subjects of experimentation; instead, the application should minimize trial and error and be used in ways that are practically useful in the educational setting.

Korea National University of Education plans to establish the country's first AI EdTech Center in 2027, with approval from the Ministry of Education. This center will take a leading role in AI in Education and Teaching (AIDT) e ducation during teacher training and re-education programs, and participants will have the opportunity to directly develop and demonstrate AI content. Additionally, through international collaborations with organizations like ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), AI and EdTech companies, and schools will work together to continuously advance educational technology.

 

Q: How should international educational models like the IB program be utilized in future education? What are your thoughts on output-oriented teaching methods?

A: In the future education, creative and interdisciplinary approaches will become increasingly important. The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is an essential model that meets these educational needs, focusing on concept-based learning and inquiry-based education. The IB program emphasizes critical thinking, an international perspective, and academic challenge, which are crucial competencies required in a global society. Recently, there has been growing interest in the IB program in South Korea, with more applications to IB schools, increased support from educational authorities, and an overall rise in awareness.

The IB program consists of three main elements. First, it emphasizes thematic, interdisciplinary education over subject-specific, segmented knowledge teaching. Second, it moves away from teacher-led "input" based education, placing importance on student-led, "output" focused teaching methods. This approach allows students to express their thoughts and knowledge externally, communicate with others, and deepen their understanding and learning. Third, students engage in real-life connected assignments, providing them with opportunities to apply their learning practically. Collaboration through projects fosters social interaction, and feedback on their work offers them opportunities for continuous improvement.

This approach is a powerful educational strategy that simultaneously develops students' academic and social competencies and will be increasingly important in the future.

 

Q: What are your thoughts on the importance of K-edu and vocational education for international students? How should Korean education set its direction for entering the overseas market?

A: In the past, Korean educational institutions primarily focused on importing excellent overseas educational content and personnel and adapting them to fit the domestic educational environment. However, it is now time for us to move towards exporting our outstanding educational content and personnel to the international market. To achieve this, two main directions should be considered. The first is supporting the education of developing countries as part of Official Development Assistance (ODA). The second is generating revenue by selling and distributing our educational content and personnel abroad.

In the future, Korea is expected to experience a significant decline in the working-age population due to rapid low birthrates and aging. As a result, industries may face great difficulties in securing the labor force they need. Therefore, educational institutions must identify the workforce needed in the domestic labor market, select and train the necessary talents from abroad, and then ensure stable supply to our country. Moreover, the educational content should go beyond simple vocational skills and also help individuals adapt well to Korean society and perform their professional activities smoothly.

Thus, the role of Korean education in the future will expand far beyond what it has been, and educational institutions must broaden their scope beyond traditional schooling to include vocational education and lifelong learning, among other areas.

 

Cha Woo-gyu (President of Korea National University of Education) graduated from the Department of Ethics Education at Seoul National University. After working as a middle school teacher, he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in ethics education at Seoul National University. In 1998, he transitioned to the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation as a senior research fellow. In 2005, he was appointed as a professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Korea National University of Education, where he served in various positions, including Director of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Dean of the Comprehensive Education Training Institute, Director of the Education Research Institute, and Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Education. In April 2024, he was appointed as the 12th President of Korea National University of Education. - ED

 

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