The goal of this study is to get basic data for plan formulation and policy establishment that help to develop Hak-won (private educational institute) education in Korea. To achieve this goal, this study investigates the properties and various aspects...
The goal of this study is to get basic data for plan formulation and policy establishment that help to develop Hak-won (private educational institute) education in Korea. To achieve this goal, this study investigates the properties and various aspects of Korean Hak-won education in historical perspective, analyzes related problems and issues at stake, and looks out on the future aspects. Thus, this study will ultimately dedicate to justify the status of Hak-won education in Korea through characterizing the role and educational significance of Hak-won education.
This study utilized various research methods such as literature review, historical analysis of the past Hak-won, analysis of current problems and issues in Hak-won and the Delphi technique. Literature review was used in inquiring into the change of institute-related laws, administration and policies, and historical analysis was used in examining the trend of the development of Hak-won. In addition, the Delphi technique was utilized in analyzing the future change of Hak-won in Korea, detailed contents by area, the possibility of change in each detailed content. Delphi questionnaire surveys were also conduced twice. The first survey was carried out on 112 specialists in Hak-won and 50 replied (recovery rate - 44.6%). In the second survey, the 112 specialists in the first survey and additional 88 subjects, so a total of 200 subjects were asked to participate in the survey and 141 replied (recovery rate - 70.5%).
The main contents of this study are as follows.
First, this study has surveyed changes of policies, related laws, administrative organizations and supervising systems with respect to Hak-won, and examines the tendency of its growth. The results are as follows. 1) The policies for Hak-won education in Korea have been changed by the nature of governments and the needs of the times. Especially, policies restricting Hak-won have been administered for the public good and the equality of educational opportunities. 2) The laws related to Hak-won have been modified in accordance with political, social, and educational situations. In addition, they have been consolidated as expedients for educational problems. 3) The early 1960s strengthened the administrative guidance and restriction for Hak-won. The administrative guidance had been settled in the 1970s, and hence developed in the 1980s to reach the present system However, the administrative guidance for Hak-won has been executed mainly with catching institutions' violations rather than along with systems of law and administration. The present situation is not different from the past one. 4) The changes of Hak-won education have been sensitive to changes of education, society, and economy. Hak-won education has developed quantitatively, while qualitatively it has dedicated to the illiterate education, industrial human resources training, promotion of learning, judicious guidance for youth, social welfare, and infant education, which ultimately has make great contribution to the development of Korean economy and education.
Second, outstanding problems and issues related to recent (after 2000) institution education were analyzed. Specifically, 1) the grounds of institute policies were summarized in terms of the relationship between patents' right of education and the government's responsibility and the relationship between the right to receive education and personal education activities, 2) based on the grounds, major issues related to institute polices were discussed, focused on whether schools can absorb various demands for education and how strict regulations on institutes should be. In addition, 3) current issues were discussed by curriculum including controversies on the plan of normalizing the education of academic schools on February 17 2004, problems in executing the plan of promoting technical institutes, problems in art institutes for children that were excluded from the scope of free art education, and solutions for these problems were proposed.
Third, this study has analyzed areas of changes, prospects for educational demands, and the probability of change in detail. The results are as follows. 1) Expected changes in various areas are drawn up with respect to the Hak-won education as a whole and in disciplines. Experts anticipate that the possibility of changes in functions and roles of Hak-won education are the highest (70.40%), and qualitative improvement and diversification in educational methods (46.0%), specialization and subdivision in course (44.0%) follows it in that order. They expect that changes in reform of the market structure of Hak-won (72.97%) and in educational demands (64.86%) are the most probable in the discipline of liberal arts and sciences. Changes in educational demands (51.72%) and in specialization and subdivision in course (37.93%) are the most plausible in technology. Changes in educational demands and in functions (83.33%) and roles of Hak-won education (43.33%) are the most probable in art 2) The specialist groups participating in Delphi research appear to similarly anticipate the probability of changes in detailed parts such as functions and roles of Hak-won education, the distribution of students, quantitative demands, the market structure of Hak-won, and policies for Hak-won education. 3) People engaged in Hak-won education anticipate its development positively in the disciplines of liberal arts and sciences, and of art. Contrastively, they anticipate the development of Hak-won education negatively in the discipline of technology.
The results of this study are summarized generally as follows.
First, policies, related laws, administrative organizations and supervising systems for Hak-won education have been modified for the purpose of restriction and supervision. Thus, the government should continuatively alleviate the restrictions on Hak-won education, and arrange laws, institutions, administration to let Hak-won improve their self-regulation.
Second, the historical and disciplinal survey reveals that Hak-won education has developed not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. Thus, it has dedicated to the illiterate education, industrial human resources training, promotion of learning, judicious guidance for youth, social welfare, and infant education. This means that it has make contribution to the society. It, therefore, is necessary to try to view Hak-won education in noble perspective based on reevaluation of it.
Third, the analysis of problems and issues with Hak-won education at stake shows that the public education cannot satisfy various educational demands because of tight public resources. Thus, it is desirable for Hak-won education to play a complementary role, and the government should explore policies for reasonable restrictions on it.
Lastly, the expectation of the future of Hak-won education with respect to its possible changes are affirmative in that people look forward to its affirmative roles, which are contrasted to the present negative attitude to it. On the other hand people expect cooperation of public education and Hak won education, which means it is possible for the negative attitude to be improved.
Some subjects that should be explored based on this study are as follows. First, problems of the establishment of policies for Hak-won education based upon the study of its roles and functions. Second, it is required that researchers explore quantitative and qualitative aspects of the growth of Hak-won education, and its educational roles. It is also necessary that subsequent studies characterize the merits and competitive power that Hak won education has in comparison to public education. Furthermore, it can be an important research subject why people generally evaluate Hak-won education negatively. Third, the future research should discuss concrete ways of Hak-won education's cooperation with public education.