K-12 Korean "Shadow Education"

From: db Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 Subject: The Daily Stat: South Koreans Spend Heavily on "Shadow Education"

South Koreans Spend Heavily on "Shadow Education"

Parents in South Korea spend up to 30% of their income on the after-school lessons, cram schools, and practice exams that are known there as "shadow education," despite government efforts to reduce family expenditures on private tutoring. In 2009, 87.4% of primary-school students, 74.3% of middle-school students, and 62.8% of high-school students in South Korea received some form of private tutoring, according to Soojeong Lee of Dankook University and Roger C. Shouse of Penn State. Parents view shadow education not only as a requirement for good careers but also as a sign of status, the researchers say.

Source: The Impact of Prestige Orientation on Shadow Education in South Korea at http://soe.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/06/08/0038040711411278

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