0:00:02 > 0:00:04SCHOOL BELL RINGS
0:00:04 > 0:00:06When it comes to school exam results,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Britain is nowhere near the top of the international league table.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16In fact, it's Asian countries that consistently take the top spots.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20The UK lags behind these masters of education.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24And my home nation, Wales, is the worst performing country
0:00:24 > 0:00:28compared to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I'm Sian Griffiths, education editor at The Sunday Times.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I want to know, what would it take for Welsh schools to compete,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and be at the top of those rankings?
0:00:40 > 0:00:42And to do that I need some help.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I'm inviting three pupils from my old school in Wales to
0:00:47 > 0:00:51swap their classrooms, teachers and even their parents
0:00:51 > 0:00:55to experience school life on the opposite side of the globe...
0:00:55 > 0:00:58in Gangnam, in South Korea.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00# Oppa Gangnam style... #
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Here, pupils work long hours...
0:01:02 > 0:01:05teachers can become millionaires... HE SHOUTS IN KOREAN
0:01:05 > 0:01:10..and parents plough a small fortune into private tuition for their kids.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12This is extreme education.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17So, for three days, three Welsh teenagers
0:01:17 > 0:01:20will live and breathe Korean education
0:01:20 > 0:01:23to find out the secret to their success.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25I honestly couldn't keep my eyes open.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29This is School Swap - Korean style.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37St Davids in Pembrokeshire is the smallest city in Britain.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40This is where I grew up and went to school.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Here, I got the grades to go to Oxford to study English.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And back then the quality of Wales' education system was renowned.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But something has changed.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55So I want three students from my old school to help me find out what.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59I'm sending them to one of the best and toughest education systems
0:01:59 > 0:02:01in the world today,
0:02:01 > 0:02:02South Korea.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05I'm looking forward to experiencing it,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09but I honestly don't know how they cope.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Some days I'll only have two lessons in the morning,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15or sometimes I have triple lessons at the end of the day,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17so I can have a lie-in in the morning.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I do like the social part of school,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26but I don't really enjoy the educational side of it.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Some might say that I like my PlayStation a bit more,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33or playing sports with my friends a bit more than studying.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37School, for me, is about, yeah, sure,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39you come along and you see your friends every day,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42but it's also about knuckling down and getting some work done.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44I want to get the best, I want to be the best,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46and I think that all starts with education.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50I want to go to Korea because I want to know
0:02:50 > 0:02:52why they're doing so much better at education than we are,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and what they have that we don't.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Three very different kids.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01But how will they take to the super-tough system of South Korea?
0:03:01 > 0:03:03# Everybody is kung fu fighting... #
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Our three Welsh teenagers are travelling 6,000 miles
0:03:07 > 0:03:11from Pembrokeshire to the capital of South Korea, Seoul.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17# It's the book of your life that you're writing... #
0:03:17 > 0:03:20For three days, I've arranged for them to be totally immersed
0:03:20 > 0:03:22in Korean school and teenage life.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26And they need to look the part, too.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29It looks like I'm going to play cricket.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31So first stop is the local school uniform shop.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34EWAN LAUGHS
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- I feel like an air hostess. - You look like one.- Oh, my goodness!
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Most schools in this area are single sex schools,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43so the three will have to split up.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Tommy and Ewan will attend Dankook,
0:03:48 > 0:03:53an all-boys high school in the most affluent neighbourhood in Gangnam.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57The school is surrounded by expensive high-rise flats,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59with Korean parents spending a fortune
0:03:59 > 0:04:01to move into the school's catchment.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Mine's a very posh school,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08and I have a feeling they're going to be really strict.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Sarah will attend the nearby all-girls school, Suhmoon.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Over 1,500 girls attend this high school,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19and it's one of the best in Gangnam,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22with strict rules on uniform and appearance.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Our three Welsh students will also be staying with a Korean family,
0:04:29 > 0:04:30but before they head off,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I want to know if they're ready for the challenge.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Do you already know any Korean?
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Have you learnt it in the few hours you've been here?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Well, I've picked up a little bit.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43I mean, like, kamsahamnida is thank you.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And Tommy knows the way to introduce yourself.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51Yeah, when you greet someone, you say mannaseo bangapseumnida.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Sarah?- I'm useless!
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I've been relying on these two.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58OK. Well, good luck, all three of you. Off you go!
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Cheers.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Sarah, Tommy and Ewan now split up and head off
0:05:06 > 0:05:09to meet their Korean classmates for the first time.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12They know nothing about their host families,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14and the nerves are definitely starting to show.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Yeah, a bit nervous.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19But should be good to meet them.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I think nervous doesn't quite cut it.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Do I press here?
0:05:25 > 0:05:26What do I do? This one?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Here we go.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35OK...
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- Hello!- Nice to meet you.- Hello.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Sarah will be staying with 16-year-old Si-yeon.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55When she was young, Si-yeon went to a school for gifted children,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and her favourite subject is maths.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- That's the living room.- OK.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- And the dining table.- Yeah.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- And that's the kitchen.- Oh, my gosh. I'm actually here!
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Meanwhile, on the other side of town,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Tommy is going up in the world.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- Hello.- Tommy! - Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Tommy's Korean classmate is Min Young.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21He has a bird's-eye view of Seoul from his 36th-floor apartment.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And there's an 86-inch television to amuse him.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Ooh, you've got a home cinema!
0:06:26 > 0:06:28That's really cool!
0:06:28 > 0:06:30That's a lovely view, as well.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Ewan is the last to meet his Korean counterpart, Young-chang.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- Hello.- Hello, hello. Mannaseo bangapseumnida.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40There's no television here.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Young-chang's parents believe it's a barrier to good education.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45This is a really nice house.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47You make the most of the space as well, it's really good.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Both are top students in their class,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and it's not long before they check out each other's maths homework
0:06:54 > 0:06:55and musical skills.
0:07:20 > 0:07:21That's amazing.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25First impressions, he's amazing.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27He can play the piano backwards, for Christ's sake.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29I don't stand a chance.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Finally here, I'm finally here, and it's crazy. It's really good.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34I look like an idiot now.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Tomorrow, our three Welsh students are going to discover
0:07:40 > 0:07:43why Korean education is the toughest in the world.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46What time does school start tomorrow?
0:07:46 > 0:07:48We need to be there by eight.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49- Eight? All right, OK.- Yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Eight o'clock is quite an early start.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Yeah, yeah.- But it's all right.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- I think it is math, English and history.- OK.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And then we're going to have dinner at school.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05And then we're going to have, like, the extracurricular stuff.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- We stay there until, like, ten. - Ten o'clock at night?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- Ten, yes.- OK.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13I'm normally fast asleep at ten o'clock,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17but...I think I can change for a couple of days.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19I don't think I'm prepared for this.
0:08:28 > 0:08:306.45 in the morning,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and in Young-chang's house, there's no sign of Ewan.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- HE KNOCKS ON DOOR - Hello, Ewan?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42It's already, like... a quarter before seven.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Yeah, sorry. I fell back to sleep.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- That's normal.- Yeah.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Over at Si-yeon's house,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54it's a different type of wake-up call for Sarah over breakfast.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58We have this bag in each class for us to put our phones in.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- We have to give our phones in?- Yes.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03You're not even just, like, allowed to turn them off...?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I guess you can, but if the teacher finds out,
0:09:06 > 0:09:11they'll take it for, like, a week and a half, to a month.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I guess it depends on the teacher.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- They can take your phone off you for that long?- Yeah.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- LAUGHS:- Oh, my God!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I did wake up, and then I just fell back asleep.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- HE SIGHS - Ready for school now.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Apparently, I might be out until 11:30 at night, so...
0:09:31 > 0:09:32could be quite interesting.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38While Sarah and Ewan make their way to their respective schools,
0:09:38 > 0:09:43over at Min-young's house, Tommy's only just getting up.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45I don't usually function at this time.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50God, you get better weather out here than we do. Much better.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55This is like...this is actually quite a nice day.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58It gets a bit tiring after lunch.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01I think I'll be tired before lunch.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Because Tommy got up so late, his Korean classmate is worried.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13We're going to be there on time, I think.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17He's never been late to school before.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20I'll catch up, don't worry.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26In Dankook High School,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29punishment for missing the bell is coming in even earlier
0:10:29 > 0:10:31to clean the corridors and classrooms.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46With seconds to spare,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49both have avoided mopping up duties -
0:10:49 > 0:10:50for today, at least.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Sarah is creating a bit of a stir over at Suhmoon Girls' School.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Everyone's watching.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05Being the only blonde in school can make you quite a celebrity.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I'm not normally awake until about quarter to eight.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17It's strange. Too early.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23It's ten to eight, and first up, it's English.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28And a gentle easing in for Tommy, Ewan and Sarah.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33'Well, I'm not very familiar with that genre of music.'
0:11:34 > 0:11:36'I cut myself when I shaved this morning.'
0:11:36 > 0:11:38'Maybe you could shave in the shower?'
0:11:38 > 0:11:41'Hmm, sounds like a good idea.'
0:11:41 > 0:11:43More than 99% of Korean students
0:11:43 > 0:11:47choose to stay in school after they turn 16,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50compared to only 50% back home in Wales.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54For the next three years, they prepare for a make-or-break exam
0:11:54 > 0:11:56to get into a good university.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02While I wait to see if the kids survive their first day,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I've been looking around the local area
0:12:04 > 0:12:06and come across this Buddhist temple.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10This sign is pretty interesting.
0:12:10 > 0:12:17It's inviting people to come and do 3,000 bows or prayers overnight
0:12:17 > 0:12:20this Saturday for... Guess what?
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Good exam results.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30These mothers are praying for good results
0:12:30 > 0:12:32in the end-of-term exams.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Each prayer book has a picture of their child.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44And on the roof of the temple,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47the light stays on in the family's lantern
0:12:47 > 0:12:49until the child reaches university.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57In the temple courtyard,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59the mothers burn old textbooks
0:12:59 > 0:13:03to destroy any possible bad luck in the looming exams.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It is this religious devotion to education
0:13:07 > 0:13:11that has helped transform South Korea's fortunes.
0:13:11 > 0:13:1660 years ago, nearly 80% of the population here was illiterate.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21Today, South Korea is an economic giant.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23They did all that through education.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28HE CHANTS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:13:37 > 0:13:39So, how good are they?
0:13:39 > 0:13:43I've arranged a test for the boys in Dankook School.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- Good morning. ALL:- Good morning.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Today, you're going to be sitting a Welsh GCSE maths exam.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58You have 60 minutes, and your time starts...
0:13:58 > 0:14:00now.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It's usually a two-hour long paper,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07but we've randomly selected half of the questions
0:14:07 > 0:14:09to fit this exam into 60 minutes.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- (In my maths exam, I got an A star.) - (An A star?)
0:14:13 > 0:14:17(An A star, yeah. I was told to aim for full marks, so...)
0:14:20 > 0:14:22After only 15 minutes,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26some of the Korean students have already finished the paper.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28But even on his second attempt,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31GCSE maths is still a headache for Tommy.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38For my GCSEs, I got two A stars, four As, four Bs, and a C.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39I thought I did quite well,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41considering the amount of work I did.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45The only grade that I would've liked to have got higher was a C in maths.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I would've liked to get that up to a B, but...
0:14:48 > 0:14:49you know, it is what it is.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54OK. so, can I just ask you all,
0:14:54 > 0:14:59can you put your hands up if you found that paper difficult?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03LAUGHTER
0:15:03 > 0:15:07OK. So, can I ask you now, can you put your hands up
0:15:07 > 0:15:09if you found the paper really easy?
0:15:11 > 0:15:13OK. Oof!
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Everybody found it really easy.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20'Well, that was really interesting.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:23None of those South Korean teenagers found that paper difficult.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Most of them finished it in about 15 minutes -
0:15:25 > 0:15:27it was supposed to take an hour!
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I'm not really surprised because the teacher said that paper
0:15:30 > 0:15:34was primary school-level maths for those children.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38It just shows how far we've got to go to catch up in Wales.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Thousands of children in Wales -
0:15:39 > 0:15:41not just in Wales, across the UK -
0:15:41 > 0:15:43would've failed that paper this summer.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47That says a lot about where we are, and how much we've got to do.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I asked them, and they thought the exam was very easy,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56and I said, "Well, some people in our class have failed that,"
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and they said, "Well, that's...that's astounding," so...
0:15:59 > 0:16:01I just think they just work harder, they go over it
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and then, an exam they've never studied for before,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07they just did it straight through, so...yeah, amazing.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Korean teenagers are exam-busting machines,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and are among the top-performing students in the world.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18We know this because of the PISA test.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23Every three years, 15-year-olds in 68 different countries
0:16:23 > 0:16:27sit the same exams in maths, science and reading.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30In the latest PISA maths test,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Asian countries, like South Korea, once again come out on top.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42England and Northern Ireland are down with Scotland, at 29th,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47and my home nation, Wales, right down at 36th.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53One obvious difference here is the long hours they put in.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Sarah is struggling to stay awake.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Others have just given up.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But still, the teacher carries on.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I feel really bad because I've gone really sleepy now,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and that lesson, I was just like...
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Ooh!
0:17:12 > 0:17:15At least there's one similarity between Wales and South Korea -
0:17:15 > 0:17:17they do have school dinners.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22In Seoul, all kids up to 16 years old have free school meals.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25But you won't find any chips being dished out here.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Korean school dinners are hailed as some of the healthiest in the world.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Plenty of rice, soup
0:17:32 > 0:17:36and gut-friendly fermented cabbage called kimchi.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Oh, yeah, rice!
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's really nice. It's sort of like a stew sort of thing.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44But there's less stew to it and more meat and veg and stuff.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48It's really tasty, really tasty.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51With their bellies full, it's back to the classroom,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and our Welsh students are actually getting
0:17:53 > 0:17:56a taste for Korean-style lessons.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58The method of teaching out here is
0:17:58 > 0:18:00they just give it to you in black and white
0:18:00 > 0:18:01and you memorise it and you learn it,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04but that does not necessarily mean that you understand it.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06What stuck out to me a lot is, in class,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08they don't even talk to each other.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09It's just bizarre.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The school here is better in terms of the results,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15but are they really living a life that a young person should be?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17I'm not so sure.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21In response to such criticisms,
0:18:21 > 0:18:26the principal at the boys' school has introduced a school sports day
0:18:26 > 0:18:29to tackle the problems of stressed-out and tired students.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34This is one of the best schools in Seoul,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and South Korea is at that the top of the international rankings
0:18:37 > 0:18:39for education.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42But do you feel that this kind of sports day is necessary
0:18:42 > 0:18:45to give them some kind of release from that pressure?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Yes, that's a part of the reason I do this with these kids,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50because, you know, like, this time never comes back, you know?
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Like, this is a beautiful time of our life.
0:18:53 > 0:18:59But they're kind of, like, squeezed under a big load of pressure.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Their day's probably like 6 till 12 or something.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06- 6am in the morning to midnight? - Surely, yeah.- Whoa.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- So they're getting about six hours' sleep?- Six hours' sleep.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11That's a very, like...insufficient.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13So, we've been seeing some children sleep,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15actually nodding off in lessons.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18What do you do when you see children doing that?
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Actually, I tap the glass, the window of the classroom,
0:19:21 > 0:19:26and I try to wake them up by sending my finger signal to them.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Does it work? - Yeah, it's working.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Eventually, probably, that's going to damage
0:19:31 > 0:19:33their efficiency of their studies,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35because they need to sleep, they can't have lack of sleep.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38So that's the primary reason why we're doing this.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42It's kind of like some activities to release their stress.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45The final event of the day is rope skipping,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and Tommy's been given the responsibility
0:19:48 > 0:19:49for swinging the rope for his team.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I'm actually quite nervous. I don't want to get it wrong.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Look how many people are watching!
0:19:56 > 0:19:58I'm petrified.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Look! Look how wrong it can go.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Next up, it's Tommy's team.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28CHEERING
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Most of the Korean students don't know anything about Wales.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34That's until they see the flag.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38There's one famous Welsh footballer and everyone knows his name.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44- STUDENTS:- Gareth Bale! Gareth Bale!
0:20:57 > 0:21:014:20, and the bell rings for the boys.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Over at the girls' school, the lessons may have ended,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08but now it's time for after-school study.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09Ten hours in,
0:21:09 > 0:21:14and Sarah's sitting in the same classroom in the same chair.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18I feel really bad,
0:21:18 > 0:21:24but honestly couldn't keep my eyes open during that lesson.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26It's all getting too much for Sarah,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29so her Korean classmate Si-yeon comes to the rescue.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33We're going to get you to go to the nurse's office.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36There are a lot of beds there, so you can take a rest.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I feel so bad!
0:21:38 > 0:21:42And after that, we can go to my extracurricular class,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and then we go home.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47I feel bad going into the nurse's room.
0:21:47 > 0:21:53I should be awake, but I'm just so genuinely tired.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03As night falls on Seoul,
0:22:03 > 0:22:08Ewan and Young-chang make their way to a five-hour self-studying session
0:22:08 > 0:22:09in the local public library.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14At the moment, we're waiting to get into the library.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18I was amazed that there could be so many people all in there at once
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and the fact that they're all exquisitely silent.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24There was even kids in there studying, about ten years old.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27It's surprising but...
0:22:27 > 0:22:29shows the work ethic that Korean people have
0:22:29 > 0:22:31and it's just impressive, it's amazing.
0:22:33 > 0:22:39Studying for 14 to 16 hours a day is normal for Young-chang.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42This is his way of staying at the very top of the class.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45I found that if you review your school works
0:22:45 > 0:22:48which you've learned on that day then it really helps you a lot.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51So the library where I study near my house,
0:22:51 > 0:22:52it only opens until ten,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55so if I want to study more and finish my work,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59then I just come back to school and, yeah, stay here until 12.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02My parents' influence is the biggest part
0:23:02 > 0:23:03cos my dad grew up in the countryside.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07He had a really poor background, and he studied really hard
0:23:07 > 0:23:08and he made it into Seoul.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12If he can do that, maybe I can study more.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17But second purpose is that it's really kind of happy
0:23:17 > 0:23:19when you get your results from studying.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's really not comparable with any other achievements.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Yeah, that's what drives me to study.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28When they're not self-studying in libraries,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32most Korean students go to private night schools called hagwons.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37This area of Gangnam has over 1,000 of these hagwons.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Min-young is taking Tommy to his English hagwon -
0:23:41 > 0:23:44a two-hour top-up lesson in English grammar.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I've arranged to meet Tommy at his hagwon,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52and on my way over in the taxi,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55the driver has plenty to say about the role hagwons play
0:23:55 > 0:23:57in society here.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03This is mathematics hagwon, and this is English hagwon.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05This is mathematics hagwon.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- This is a street of hagwons, really. - Yes.- This is Hagwon Street.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09Yes, that's right.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13And the children come here what time? After school? Five o'clock?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16About five o'clock to twelve o'clock.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- So at midnight, this street will be full of children?- Yes.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21It's crazy.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Byung-hoon has sent all of his three children to hagwons.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30So when you have three children in the hagwons,
0:24:30 > 0:24:31how much is that costing you?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Almost 2,000 per month.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37- 2,000?- For only mathematics.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40How many hours do you have to work to pay for the hagwon?
0:24:40 > 0:24:42About 14 hours.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- 14 hours a day? - 15 hours in a day.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- How many days a week?- Six days. - Six days a week?
0:24:48 > 0:24:50You're working 14 hours a day.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51So you never see your children!
0:24:51 > 0:24:53When do you see your children?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Very hard to see children, yes.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It's a high price to pay for hagwons.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Yes, yes, that's right, that's true.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Korean parents spend more on private education for their kids
0:25:05 > 0:25:08than any other country in the world.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10It's almost an addiction here.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The government has even placed a ten o'clock curfew on the hagwons
0:25:14 > 0:25:16to try and control their influence.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20To keep the kids out of private education,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24the girls' school offers its own version of a hagwon.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26But it's all too much for Sarah.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30We were supposed to stay until ten,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33but I've actually been really tired,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38so, luckily, we've been let out a bit earlier.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40But, yeah, it's been a really intense day
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and definitely not used to staying in school this late.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48At his private hagwon, Tommy and his Korean classmate, Min-young,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50now face another test.
0:25:50 > 0:25:56Tommy, what's the difference between present perfect and past?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- Present perfect?- Yeah.- Uh...
0:25:58 > 0:26:03"I have learnt in Wales for 20 years."
0:26:03 > 0:26:07OK. Uh...that's present past.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Present perfect.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12- Like "have lived".- Yeah.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14What is the difference between "have lived" and "lived"?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Uh, I lived...
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- I don't know.- Yeah... OK.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Can I ask you, cos you've been teaching, tonight, a grammar lesson
0:26:23 > 0:26:26to one of our students from Wales, Tommy,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29but in the English grammar test, Min-young did better than Tommy.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30He should.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Min-young is excellent. He's a good student,
0:26:35 > 0:26:36and also he's diligent.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I noticed that Tommy was writing down everything
0:26:39 > 0:26:41and he wanted to memorise it.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45So Tommy is really diligent and he has passion,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48so if there is a system that helps Tommy,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51then Tommy can, you know, get a better score.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So hagwons seem to be doing a good job, from your point of view,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56but a lot of people criticise them
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and they say that children are here too late and they get very tired.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01What would you say to that?
0:27:01 > 0:27:06You know, personally, I just run this hagwon to help the students.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Everyone wants to go to SNU, Seoul National University,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14and I help students to go to those schools.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18So, in a family, if someone goes to SNU, Seoul National University,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22it's a kind of really big pride in that family.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I think it's a kind of culture.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It's ten o'clock at night.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31The hagwons are closing because of the government curfew,
0:27:31 > 0:27:36but many students, like Young-chang, are carrying on.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37So, where are we going now?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40So, we're actually heading back to school.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41- Back to school?- Yes.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Our study room is open until, like 11:30.
0:27:43 > 0:27:4511:30?
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Luckily, we have our bikes there, so I'm sure we'll take them back home.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51That makes things easier.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53God. And then a long day tomorrow.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- And the one after that. - THEY LAUGH
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Dankook Boys' School is open until 11:30 at night,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03so they're carrying on with their studying there.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05This is a relentless education system.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10It's ten o'clock at night, and the street's just full of children.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12A lot of them are still in their school uniforms.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And I've been speaking to a few groups of children.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Some of them are tired, some of them are hungry.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20One said he would love to be playing basketball,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24and one girl I spoke to, she was 14, she said, "I just want to sleep.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27"I'm so tired, I just want to go to sleep."
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Like other countries around the world,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34the Welsh Government has sent civil servants out to South Korea
0:28:34 > 0:28:39to see if changes need to be made to our education system back home.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41But is this what it takes
0:28:41 > 0:28:43to get to the top of the international rankings?
0:28:43 > 0:28:46And if it is, is it actually worth it?
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Schools open early in Korea.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57After the pupils have finished
0:28:57 > 0:28:59cleaning their classrooms and the corridors,
0:28:59 > 0:29:00it's the start of lessons.
0:29:02 > 0:29:03For Ewan and Tommy,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07this is a far cry from their school back in Pembrokeshire.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11It's 8:30 in the morning. Quite a few people are having a nap.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14I think I might join them in a minute. I'm feeling a bit tired.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16It's taken a toll on me.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18I mean, I prefer our type of school.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20They don't have to come in till nine,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23they don't have to work so much in the morning.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Across the city, in the all-girls school,
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Sarah has more energy than she had on day one.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Yeah, definitely, I'm much more alert today. 100%.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44But then again, we have got history and Korean next,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47so I don't know how that's going to go for me.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Hopefully, fingers crossed, I'll stay awake.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56This all-girls high school is one of the best in Seoul.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59These girls are passionate about their education.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01They work long hours -
0:30:01 > 0:30:03anything from 8 in the morning to 11 at night
0:30:03 > 0:30:05to pass their exams.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09And what's striking is the respect the teachers have here.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14An old Asian proverb says that the king and the teacher
0:30:14 > 0:30:16are both equal in status.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19No wonder, then, that some teachers have made a fortune
0:30:19 > 0:30:22off the back of that belief.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26I'm on my way to meet the most famous teacher in South Korea,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29and we've arranged to meet in a hair salon.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36Cha Kil-yong, or Mr Cha to his hordes of adoring fans,
0:30:36 > 0:30:37is preparing for his next lesson.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Your hairstyle today, it's your normal style,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44or there's a good reason for your hairstyle today?
0:30:44 > 0:30:45Yeah.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47TRANSLATION:
0:30:54 > 0:30:56In education-obsessed South Korea,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Cha is a top-ranked maths teacher,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01and here, it makes him a celebrity.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06HE SINGS IN KOREAN
0:31:10 > 0:31:12He looks every bit the pop star
0:31:12 > 0:31:16and shares the limelight with some of Korea's biggest idols.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26This is Mr Cha's latest single,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29an appeal for students to smile as they study
0:31:29 > 0:31:31for their big college entrance exams.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40You are very rich from this, yeah? You are a millionaire?
0:31:40 > 0:31:41TRANSLATION:
0:31:53 > 0:31:56He doesn't actually teach in a bricks-and-mortar school.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01He's made his fortune by running an online cram school, or hagwon,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04part of the country's huge private education business.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11And he has a variety of props, masks, costumes and wigs
0:32:11 > 0:32:13which he wears according to his mood.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Entertainment is a fundamental part of the learning process.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22HE SPEAKS IN KOREAN
0:32:22 > 0:32:24But this is a very serious business.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28He has three million registrations on his website,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and at any one time, 300,000 students are logged on,
0:32:32 > 0:32:37each paying £22 per month to watch his maths lessons.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38He is a celebrity superstar.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42He has built up an empire here in just six years.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44HE SPEAKS IN KOREAN
0:32:49 > 0:32:52You think it's stupid, but then you realise that, actually,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54even 17-year-olds are captured by him.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55He has a massive following,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59and it just goes to show how big maths is in South Korea.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02HE SPEAKS IN KOREAN
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Over in the girls' school,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Sarah is about to have a taste of mathematics, Korean-style.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Teenagers here are notoriously good at maths
0:33:16 > 0:33:20and consistently top the international rankings.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23But Sarah seems to be holding her own.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25I know that one.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30You have to add the first number, you minus the two together,
0:33:30 > 0:33:34so 5 minus 3 is 2, so that's where the 2 comes from,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36and then 5 plus 3 is 8.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Unfortunately for Sarah,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41it's first-come, first-solve in this school.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47What just happened?
0:33:49 > 0:33:53But one of the answers has been left unfinished.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- GIRLS:- Oh!
0:34:03 > 0:34:05CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:34:05 > 0:34:07I think all the girls knew how to do it
0:34:07 > 0:34:10but they just thought they'd let me do it.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I kind of felt like they were doing it out of a sympathy vote,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15because that was the easiest one on the board,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and I couldn't do any of the other ones.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22But at the end of the day, I got some food out of it, so it's fine.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27In between lessons at Dankook Boys' School,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Tommy and Ewan get a chance to visit the school farm.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35This is random.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37A while ago, they built
0:34:37 > 0:34:39this biological study centre, or whatever,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42to help with biology and stuff,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45and they've just got animals on the school grounds.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47And we've come down here,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50and there's cats and rabbits and chickens.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52It's just bizarre.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56Before, this was in much bigger scale.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02There were peacocks and iguanas and, like, exotic animals.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06I'm allergic, so I don't really want to get too close.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Halfway through their three days in a Korean school,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19and the long hours are taking their toll on Ewan and Tommy,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21as well as a few others.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26The hours are bad.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29I'm usually this tired every day.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31If you keep doing it, you sort of get tired.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33- You get used to it, probably.- Yeah.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37When do you go to school? You know, like, when school...
0:35:37 > 0:35:41- Nine o'clock, and then we finish... - STUDENTS:- Whoa!
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- And we finish at... - Then we finish at 3:30.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- STUDENTS:- Whoa!
0:35:46 > 0:35:49By spending so much time with Tommy,
0:35:49 > 0:35:54Min-young has a growing curiosity about Welsh education.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56I don't think you can say which is better.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59People in Wales, they get more active
0:35:59 > 0:36:01and they get more social ties, I guess,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and, you know, we study more.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07So if we find a middle ground where we can study
0:36:07 > 0:36:09and engage in those kind of fun activities,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12then I think that would be the best.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15In three years' time,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Min, like all other Korean high school students,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22will have to sit a university entrance exam, called the CSAT.
0:36:22 > 0:36:28The test, offered only once a year, is seen as the make-or-break exam,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30not only when it comes to college admissions
0:36:30 > 0:36:33but for a teenager's entire future.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37It's like a defining moment in your whole education, I guess.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Everyone wants to go to Seoul National University,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43which is, like, the top... at the top.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Yeah, I'm aiming for it.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Everyone's aiming for it, I think.
0:36:50 > 0:36:55Seoul National University is just like Oxford or Cambridge back home,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57and it's just as difficult to get in.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03These students are the next generation of Korean maths teachers.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06This year, 3,000 students applied
0:37:06 > 0:37:08to go on this teacher's training course.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Only 36 got places.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16I think maybe 2% or maybe 5% high school grades
0:37:16 > 0:37:18can only be admitted to my department.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20So if you want to be a maths teacher,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22and be trained in this university,
0:37:22 > 0:37:27- you're one of the top 2% to 5% of graduates in South Korea?- Right.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Why is it that your best graduates in South Korea
0:37:29 > 0:37:31want to become teachers?
0:37:31 > 0:37:33What is the number-one reason, do you think?
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- Number one, top stability.- A-ha!
0:37:36 > 0:37:41- Number two, two months' holiday. - Yeah.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46And number three, maybe it's still we respect teachers.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Becoming a teacher is a dream job for many high school pupils.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Do-yen Kim is one of them.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Under enormous pressure,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58he studied 16 hours a day for three years solid
0:37:58 > 0:38:01to get into this university.
0:38:01 > 0:38:02It was real difficult.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Especially in Korea, we have a lot of students
0:38:06 > 0:38:11who want to go to college, so the competition is really tough.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16We have only one exam for college entrance once a year,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20and that is the major source of stress
0:38:20 > 0:38:23for lots of high school students in Korea.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27After only a few minutes talking to Do Yen Kim,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29I could see that it was almost painful for him
0:38:29 > 0:38:32to talk about his time in high school,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34and then I found out why.
0:38:35 > 0:38:41- I lost about two or three friends... - To suicide? Really?- Yeah.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Because they were studying too hard?
0:38:43 > 0:38:48One was extremely stressed by the studying part,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51and the other also committed suicide, yeah.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57- How old were they? - Well, they were about 15 or 16.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03South Korea has the highest suicide rates in the industrialised world.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07It is astonishingly the number-one cause of death
0:39:07 > 0:39:10for those aged between 10 and 30 years old.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Some say it's time to make changes to the system,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18including the former Minister of Education,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21who was in charge of South Korea's success
0:39:21 > 0:39:24in the last PISA international rankings.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Those high test scores in PISA
0:39:27 > 0:39:30mask very important problems
0:39:30 > 0:39:31in Korean education.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36For example, Korean students don't have enough time to read,
0:39:36 > 0:39:41to do sports, to do music, and to spend their time freely
0:39:41 > 0:39:45because they are too much pressured to prepare for their exam.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Even in PISA test,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51when they ask Korean students whether they are happy in school,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Korean students were the lowest.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- Really?- It's really worrisome.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02It is time for Korean parents to make changes,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06to prepare our next generation for the 21st centuries.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Our children may need a different set of skills,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11other than just high test scores.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Communication, collaboration and creativity -
0:40:14 > 0:40:16they should be nurtured.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24The government are introducing changes to the system.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26All middle schools now have to allow
0:40:26 > 0:40:30one school term free of any written exams.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Though there's still another five terms of exams left.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39The aim is to get pupils into sports and other creative activities.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41In the girls' school,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Sarah is swapping her classroom for a kitchen.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48She's learning how to make Korean pancakes.
0:40:48 > 0:40:49Taste, ten.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Presentation is probably about four.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57And joining them in the class kitchen are a group of parents.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02In South Korea, parents are free to observe the teacher,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04to judge the quality of teaching,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06and they give them a score.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10For most teachers, it's an uncomfortable experience.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17Personally, it's awful, but sometimes it's really helpful for me
0:41:17 > 0:41:19to keep awake as a teacher,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22cos I need to train myself
0:41:22 > 0:41:26and sometimes I need to learn more things about education,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30and that really helps me to encourage my students, too.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37After this lesson, I've kind of got to know everyone.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39I still don't know all their names,
0:41:39 > 0:41:43but I think they've definitely tried to make me feel welcome,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46and I feel much more relaxed now
0:41:46 > 0:41:50than I did at the beginning when everyone was just staring at me.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53I think they kind of actually see me as a person now.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59This lesson, it was as if it could've been a lesson back at home,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02and we've got to kind of, like, take over ourselves,
0:42:02 > 0:42:03so that was really good.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06I think that brought my mood up a little bit.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Teachers are under pressure.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11They're not only marked by the parents,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14but by their fellow teachers, and even by the pupils.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Korean parents consider it their duty to give their children
0:42:20 > 0:42:22every opportunity to be their best,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26and they are prepared to make significant sacrifices.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Long into the night, parents are seen ferrying their kids
0:42:30 > 0:42:33between schools and top-up classes in the hagwons.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38Parents dedicate both time and money into developing the next generation.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42It is a responsibility that is taken most seriously.
0:42:42 > 0:42:48Tonight, Young-chang is taking Ewan to a three-hour maths hagwon
0:42:48 > 0:42:50for some probability equations.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52- ..all this! - THEY LAUGH
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Oh, my God!
0:42:54 > 0:42:57You should open a restaurant.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Young-chang's parents pay for this extra tuition
0:43:01 > 0:43:04to make sure that he passes his exams.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09But their sacrifices don't stop with paying for classes.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11They even took a decision to move house,
0:43:11 > 0:43:15leaving a bigger property to live in this small apartment
0:43:15 > 0:43:18because it is nearer to a good school and good hagwons.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37The family only see each other at weekends.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41Dad works away all week in a nuclear power plant
0:43:41 > 0:43:43to pay for the top-up tuition for his son.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48Whoa.
0:43:48 > 0:43:49That's a big sacrifice,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52and this is so Young-chang can finish his education?
0:44:10 > 0:44:14Here, parents have high expectations of their kids,
0:44:14 > 0:44:17and they're willing to sacrifice so much to ensure their success.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23Do I look tired? I wonder why.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28While Ewan finishes his hagwon,
0:44:28 > 0:44:32Sarah is having private maths tuition in Si-yeon's apartment.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36'They're just working so hard.'
0:44:37 > 0:44:40I think, in the long run, it probably isn't that beneficial
0:44:40 > 0:44:43because of mental health and everything like that.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52Sarah's school in Pembrokeshire is more than a place to study.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54In her GCSE exam year,
0:44:54 > 0:44:58the school helped her through a very tough and emotional year.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Yeah, it's been quite a difficult year this year
0:45:01 > 0:45:04because my mum was diagnosed with cancer again.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08So, on top of my GCSEs, there was quite a lot of stress.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10The school, they helped me so much
0:45:10 > 0:45:12because Mum was going through chemotherapy
0:45:12 > 0:45:14as I was doing my GCSEs.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19So having that support network at school was incredible.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23So I hope to go on to do medicine at university
0:45:23 > 0:45:25in either Cardiff or Bristol,
0:45:25 > 0:45:29which is kind of fuelled by Mum being poorly.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33I will do whatever it takes to get into university
0:45:33 > 0:45:36and to go on and, obviously, become a doctor then.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41So, what if you had to decide
0:45:41 > 0:45:44between a Welsh and Korean school for your child?
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Which one would you choose?
0:45:47 > 0:45:51Welshman Aled Powell met his Korean wife
0:45:51 > 0:45:54whilst teaching in a Korean hagwon.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57They've now left Korea and live in North Wales.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59A tough decision, but one they made
0:45:59 > 0:46:03to keep their daughter Arwen out of the Korean system.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05When I worked in hagwon, I hated it
0:46:05 > 0:46:08because I could feel the students are suffering.
0:46:08 > 0:46:09They don't like it.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13- I wouldn't like to send Arwen to those hagwons.- No?
0:46:13 > 0:46:15ARWEN YELLS
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Oh, I think Arwen is saying she doesn't want to go either.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19So, you wouldn't really want Arwen going into
0:46:19 > 0:46:22a secondary school in Korea, then? A high school?
0:46:22 > 0:46:25No, I think the pressures are too high.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30They've got a wide range of choice of subjects in Wales as well,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32so whatever her interests are,
0:46:32 > 0:46:36I think the Welsh system is quite good at catering for that.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38It seems these parents have set a course for their daughter
0:46:38 > 0:46:41in the Welsh school system.
0:46:41 > 0:46:42Or have they?
0:46:42 > 0:46:45I think Mum still needs to be convinced.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I think it's just ideal living there
0:46:48 > 0:46:50but when she's, like, in secondary school,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52I'm not very sure about it
0:46:52 > 0:46:55because I don't feel they're encouraged to study hard.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59It's good they have choices for their lives
0:46:59 > 0:47:03but, especially academically, I don't feel very encouraged.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07Here, it's more than encouragement. Here it's pushing.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09And it has affects not just on the children,
0:47:09 > 0:47:11but on the whole family unit.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15There's a few years yet until Arwen starts school,
0:47:15 > 0:47:20so plenty of time to decide which country offers the best education.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24But our time in Korea is fast running out.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26After spending three days in a Korean school,
0:47:26 > 0:47:30the Welsh students prepare for their last day.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33And for Tommy, he gets a taste of the cleaning duties
0:47:33 > 0:47:36dished out as punishment for Korean kids.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38Yeah, I know, I was a bit disappointed.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42I thought it'd be a grand finale, but no, I'll do cleaning.
0:47:44 > 0:47:49On their final day, I've arranged a surprise for the Welsh students.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Their headteacher, David Haynes, has flown out
0:47:54 > 0:47:58from Ysgol Dewi Sant in Pembrokeshire to see them.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01The students have no idea he is here.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08Oh, no! Oh, no!
0:48:08 > 0:48:10- Hello...- Oh, no!
0:48:10 > 0:48:13- How are you, boys? - It's my headteacher.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Bore da pawb.
0:48:17 > 0:48:18Good morning.
0:48:19 > 0:48:20Nice to see you, sir.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22- Good to see you, sir.- You all right?
0:48:22 > 0:48:24- Si-yeon.- Hello, Si-yeon. - Or April.- Or April.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26- This is Mr Haynes.- Nice to meet you.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29How are you, all right? How are you?
0:48:29 > 0:48:33How's Sarah's Korean coming along? Is it good?
0:48:33 > 0:48:36- Have you learnt any words?- No.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38I would be useless on my own.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40It's very different in some ways, similar in other ways?
0:48:40 > 0:48:43- Longer days.- Longer days. - Much longer days.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Cos you may only have three lessons one day.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49They've got it easy, haven't they, these guys, yeah?
0:48:50 > 0:48:53- How are you?- How are you? - Nice to see you.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56- Thank you for having the boys. - Welcome to my school.- Awesome.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00How many children would you have, entry, in a year?
0:49:00 > 0:49:02How many children in one year group?
0:49:02 > 0:49:07- About...500.- 500 in one year? That's as big as my school.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10- Really?- Yeah! - The whole...?- Whole school.- OK!
0:49:10 > 0:49:12And that's 11 to 19.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15So we have about 80 children a year.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17I envy your school.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21Sometimes this place reminds me, like, a boot camp.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Too many kids here!
0:49:25 > 0:49:27After spending the day at both schools,
0:49:27 > 0:49:30I want to find out from the Welsh headmaster what lessons
0:49:30 > 0:49:34he thinks can be learned from our Korean counterparts.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38I think that the work ethic is first class.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Children are dedicated, they work long hours.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44This school stays open till 12 at night for students
0:49:44 > 0:49:47to stay behind after school, which is remarkable, really,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50something we don't see back in Wales.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Would you like to see schools staying open later in Wales?
0:49:53 > 0:49:55Maybe till seven or eight o'clock?
0:49:55 > 0:49:56It's certainly something to think about.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58I'm not saying we should be open till 12 o'clock
0:49:58 > 0:50:00by any stretch of the imagination.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02But certainly something that we need to look at.
0:50:02 > 0:50:07I think our children do work hard within the current framework.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10But they don't work as hard as the kids in South Korea?
0:50:10 > 0:50:12They don't work as long, I don't think,
0:50:12 > 0:50:14in terms of the amount of hours they spend in school.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16And they don't get quite the same level of grades
0:50:16 > 0:50:18in their exam results.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21They don't achieve the same levels within the PISA test, no.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24- However...- So there are lessons to be learned, David.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26I said yes. Yes, I agree.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30But speaking to the principal here, he's very interested in what we do
0:50:30 > 0:50:34with regards to deeper thinking and being creative.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38I think there are lessons to be learned from Korea visiting us,
0:50:38 > 0:50:40but there's certainly lessons to be learned
0:50:40 > 0:50:41by visiting South Korea as well.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45From David Haynes' experience,
0:50:45 > 0:50:48there's a shortage of top maths teachers in Wales,
0:50:48 > 0:50:51so he'd like to bring over maths teachers from South Korea
0:50:51 > 0:50:52to solve the problem.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54In the health service,
0:50:54 > 0:50:56we bring across doctors from other parts of the world
0:50:56 > 0:50:58and they contribute greatly to our society
0:50:58 > 0:51:00and the provision that we receive.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02I don't see it being a problem at all,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05that specialists and highly trained professionals coming from
0:51:05 > 0:51:07other parts of the world, like South Korea,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10could contribute greatly, I think, to our education system.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13In three days,
0:51:13 > 0:51:17our Welsh students have clocked up more than 100 hours of study.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Double the time compared to back home.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22But now, it's all come to an end.
0:51:22 > 0:51:27It's time to say goodbye to their Korean classmates.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30I feel like I've actually made some good relations here,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34and it just feels like they're actually my class,
0:51:34 > 0:51:36and I've got used to being in that class.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38And it's been fun, and I've been part of the learning experience,
0:51:38 > 0:51:39and it's been really good.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42So I'm kind of sad, in a way, that it's my last day.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:51:48 > 0:51:50'Obviously I've enjoyed the whole experience
0:51:50 > 0:51:55'and having that opportunity to witness this school.'
0:51:55 > 0:51:58But I'm definitely, definitely going to be happy
0:51:58 > 0:51:59to get out of this uniform.
0:51:59 > 0:52:04Obviously, thank you for making everything so comfortable for me
0:52:04 > 0:52:06and really welcoming me.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09When we first came here, we felt really alien because
0:52:09 > 0:52:13we didn't know anyone and everybody was giving us weird looks, sort of.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16Since we've been here, it's only been three days,
0:52:16 > 0:52:19and I feel like part of the class, and it's really cool.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22It's been a really good few days. It's been very funny, as well.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25You've all got really good personalities.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26So, yeah, thank you very much,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29and I hope you do well in your exams.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Only feels like yesterday I arrived, and I was going to go to school,
0:53:01 > 0:53:03but it's all coming to an end.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06You know, it's been a really good experience, though.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08Certainly I'll remember it for a long time.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Before they leave their Korean host families,
0:53:12 > 0:53:17I'm catching up with Tommy, Ewan and Sarah for their final impressions.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22I feel like it would benefit the younger years
0:53:22 > 0:53:25where education is still compulsory,
0:53:25 > 0:53:29to bring in some of the same rules, if you'd say,
0:53:29 > 0:53:31as the South Koreans do,
0:53:31 > 0:53:35just to kind of improve the work ethic.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38I think if there were stronger after-school classes
0:53:38 > 0:53:42to help people with problems they might be having a school,
0:53:42 > 0:53:44like, if there was a hagwon-based thing,
0:53:44 > 0:53:45that would be really good.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47- Just not finishing as late.- Yeah.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50So more after-school clubs in St Davids
0:53:50 > 0:53:52and some more rules, yeah?
0:53:52 > 0:53:55Oh, no, cos we sound so bad now!
0:53:55 > 0:53:58- We're a bit too soft on the kids at home.- Yeah.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Here, they don't mess around. They give you a punishment.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03You get cleaning duty, or you stay after school.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06- And you think that's good? It's consistent?- Well, it works.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08- People are going to hate us. - It's consistent.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11- But I mean...- It's true, though. - ..is it what you want?
0:54:11 > 0:54:14So, if they were competing against Korean students
0:54:14 > 0:54:17for a university place, who would win?
0:54:17 > 0:54:21How does a Welsh A-level compare to the Korean CSAT?
0:54:21 > 0:54:24At the end of the day, they're studying so hard for that CSAT
0:54:24 > 0:54:27that they don't actually get extracurricular options.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30So even if they smash those exams,
0:54:30 > 0:54:36if we smash ours as well, we win, just simply by circumstance.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Before they head off back to school in Wales,
0:54:40 > 0:54:42there's a few more goodbyes to say.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Right, this is farewell.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Oh, my God...
0:54:49 > 0:54:51It was a pleasure to have you here.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54You guys are going to have to come and stay with me.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56I'll be sure to visit your place.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Thank you, cheers. Come here.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00We don't do handshakes. Hugs. Thank you.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04- Thanks very much. - I was very happy to have you stay.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Thank you for feeding me so much!
0:55:07 > 0:55:11The food's been incredible. I'm coming back like...pfff.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13You're my son.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15- I'm very happy. - I have a nice friend, too.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- Have a nice trip. - It's been good to meet you, man.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20- Bye.- Thank you.- Bye.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22See you soon, bye.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24Thank you! Bye!
0:55:27 > 0:55:29- See you, guys.- See you later. - Thank you.- Bye.
0:55:32 > 0:55:33Salute.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40What we've learned is South Korea's schools are changing.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42They're cutting back on the testing.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44They're taking the best of our system,
0:55:44 > 0:55:46more sports, more creative activities,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49and they're applying them here.
0:55:49 > 0:55:50But what we're not doing is
0:55:50 > 0:55:53we're not taking what they already have here,
0:55:53 > 0:55:57which is the foundation of knowledge, which is a work ethic,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00which is ambition and aspiration for every child.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02And my real fear is these countries
0:56:02 > 0:56:04are going to be accelerating away from us
0:56:04 > 0:56:07at an even faster rate than they already are.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11It's time to head home, and there is one thing I'm keen to do.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Education is a devolved area.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17That means the system in Wales is run by the Welsh Government
0:56:17 > 0:56:19in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21In the days before
0:56:21 > 0:56:23the latest education rankings are announced,
0:56:23 > 0:56:27I meet with Education Minister Kirsty Williams.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31I want to see what she thinks about our Korean experience
0:56:31 > 0:56:35and find out how she plans to improve Wales' standing
0:56:35 > 0:56:37in the international rankings.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Did you think Wales did OK last time round?
0:56:39 > 0:56:41No, absolutely not.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43I was very clear outside of government,
0:56:43 > 0:56:46and I'm very clear now that I'm in the government
0:56:46 > 0:56:49that Wales' previous performance in PISA has not been good enough,
0:56:49 > 0:56:51and it's not what I wanted to see.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53We need to make improvements.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57And do you want Wales to be in the top 10, the top 20 in PISA?
0:56:57 > 0:56:59I want Wales to improve its scores.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I'm not going to sit here, like other politicians in the past
0:57:02 > 0:57:05have made wild predictions about where we will sit.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07What's important is the individual scores
0:57:07 > 0:57:10that our children can achieve, and we need to make progress.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14I want Welsh parents to be engaged, to go into parents' evening,
0:57:14 > 0:57:16to take up the opportunities that the school afford
0:57:16 > 0:57:20to talk about what they can do to support their children's education.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23Take up a place on a school governing body,
0:57:23 > 0:57:28let me know about how they perceive Welsh policy is developing.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32I'm clear that we are making the changes
0:57:32 > 0:57:35that will make a difference to PISA results in the future.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38We're not where we should be, we're not where I want to be,
0:57:38 > 0:57:40but we are moving forward.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45Since filming, Ysgol Dewi Sant has introduced
0:57:45 > 0:57:48Korean-style changes to its school.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52They're going to ban mobile phones for GCSE pupils
0:57:52 > 0:57:55and will make the school day longer
0:57:55 > 0:57:58with timetabled study sessions in the evenings.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02Though, they still believe that there's more to life
0:58:02 > 0:58:04than very long hours looking at a blackboard.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09And, coming from Pembrokeshire,
0:58:09 > 0:58:12I wouldn't entirely disagree with that.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14Of course it's about getting the balance right,
0:58:14 > 0:58:17but I'm convinced that, looking at Korea,
0:58:17 > 0:58:22there is still a lot for us right across the UK to learn.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29# Everybody is kung fu fighting
0:58:29 > 0:58:30# Kung fu fighting
0:58:30 > 0:58:33# Your mind becomes fast as lightning
0:58:34 > 0:58:38# Although the future is a little bit frightening
0:58:39 > 0:58:42# It's the book of your life that you're writing... #