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SCHOOL BELL RINGS | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
When it comes to school exam results, | 0:00:04 | 0:00:06 | |
Britain is nowhere near the top of the international league table. | 0:00:06 | 0:00:10 | |
In fact, it's Asian countries that consistently take the top spots. | 0:00:10 | 0:00:16 | |
The UK lags behind these masters of education. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:20 | |
And my home nation, Wales, is the worst performing country | 0:00:20 | 0:00:24 | |
compared to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. | 0:00:24 | 0:00:28 | |
I'm Sian Griffiths, education editor at The Sunday Times. | 0:00:29 | 0:00:33 | |
I want to know, what would it take for Welsh schools to compete, | 0:00:33 | 0:00:37 | |
and be at the top of those rankings? | 0:00:37 | 0:00:40 | |
And to do that I need some help. | 0:00:40 | 0:00:42 | |
I'm inviting three pupils from my old school in Wales to | 0:00:44 | 0:00:47 | |
swap their classrooms, teachers and even their parents | 0:00:47 | 0:00:51 | |
to experience school life on the opposite side of the globe... | 0:00:51 | 0:00:55 | |
in Gangnam, in South Korea. | 0:00:55 | 0:00:58 | |
# Oppa Gangnam style... # | 0:00:58 | 0:01:00 | |
Here, pupils work long hours... | 0:01:00 | 0:01:02 | |
teachers can become millionaires... HE SHOUTS IN KOREAN | 0:01:02 | 0:01:05 | |
..and parents plough a small fortune into private tuition for their kids. | 0:01:05 | 0:01:10 | |
This is extreme education. | 0:01:10 | 0:01:12 | |
So, for three days, three Welsh teenagers | 0:01:14 | 0:01:17 | |
will live and breathe Korean education | 0:01:17 | 0:01:20 | |
to find out the secret to their success. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:23 | |
I honestly couldn't keep my eyes open. | 0:01:23 | 0:01:25 | |
This is School Swap - Korean style. | 0:01:25 | 0:01:29 | |
St Davids in Pembrokeshire is the smallest city in Britain. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:37 | |
This is where I grew up and went to school. | 0:01:37 | 0:01:40 | |
Here, I got the grades to go to Oxford to study English. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:44 | |
And back then the quality of Wales' education system was renowned. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:48 | |
But something has changed. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:51 | |
So I want three students from my old school to help me find out what. | 0:01:51 | 0:01:55 | |
I'm sending them to one of the best and toughest education systems | 0:01:55 | 0:01:59 | |
in the world today, | 0:01:59 | 0:02:01 | |
South Korea. | 0:02:01 | 0:02:02 | |
I'm looking forward to experiencing it, | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
but I honestly don't know how they cope. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:09 | |
Some days I'll only have two lessons in the morning, | 0:02:09 | 0:02:12 | |
or sometimes I have triple lessons at the end of the day, | 0:02:12 | 0:02:15 | |
so I can have a lie-in in the morning. | 0:02:15 | 0:02:17 | |
I do like the social part of school, | 0:02:20 | 0:02:22 | |
but I don't really enjoy the educational side of it. | 0:02:22 | 0:02:26 | |
Some might say that I like my PlayStation a bit more, | 0:02:26 | 0:02:29 | |
or playing sports with my friends a bit more than studying. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:33 | |
School, for me, is about, yeah, sure, | 0:02:35 | 0:02:37 | |
you come along and you see your friends every day, | 0:02:37 | 0:02:39 | |
but it's also about knuckling down and getting some work done. | 0:02:39 | 0:02:42 | |
I want to get the best, I want to be the best, | 0:02:42 | 0:02:44 | |
and I think that all starts with education. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
I want to go to Korea because I want to know | 0:02:47 | 0:02:50 | |
why they're doing so much better at education than we are, | 0:02:50 | 0:02:52 | |
and what they have that we don't. | 0:02:52 | 0:02:54 | |
Three very different kids. | 0:02:54 | 0:02:56 | |
But how will they take to the super-tough system of South Korea? | 0:02:56 | 0:03:01 | |
# Everybody is kung fu fighting... # | 0:03:01 | 0:03:03 | |
Our three Welsh teenagers are travelling 6,000 miles | 0:03:03 | 0:03:07 | |
from Pembrokeshire to the capital of South Korea, Seoul. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:11 | |
# It's the book of your life that you're writing... # | 0:03:14 | 0:03:17 | |
For three days, I've arranged for them to be totally immersed | 0:03:17 | 0:03:20 | |
in Korean school and teenage life. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:22 | |
And they need to look the part, too. | 0:03:24 | 0:03:26 | |
It looks like I'm going to play cricket. | 0:03:26 | 0:03:29 | |
So first stop is the local school uniform shop. | 0:03:29 | 0:03:31 | |
EWAN LAUGHS | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | |
-I feel like an air hostess. -You look like one. -Oh, my goodness! | 0:03:34 | 0:03:38 | |
Most schools in this area are single sex schools, | 0:03:38 | 0:03:41 | |
so the three will have to split up. | 0:03:41 | 0:03:43 | |
Tommy and Ewan will attend Dankook, | 0:03:45 | 0:03:48 | |
an all-boys high school in the most affluent neighbourhood in Gangnam. | 0:03:48 | 0:03:53 | |
The school is surrounded by expensive high-rise flats, | 0:03:54 | 0:03:57 | |
with Korean parents spending a fortune | 0:03:57 | 0:03:59 | |
to move into the school's catchment. | 0:03:59 | 0:04:01 | |
Mine's a very posh school, | 0:04:03 | 0:04:05 | |
and I have a feeling they're going to be really strict. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
Sarah will attend the nearby all-girls school, Suhmoon. | 0:04:08 | 0:04:12 | |
Over 1,500 girls attend this high school, | 0:04:13 | 0:04:17 | |
and it's one of the best in Gangnam, | 0:04:17 | 0:04:19 | |
with strict rules on uniform and appearance. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:22 | |
Our three Welsh students will also be staying with a Korean family, | 0:04:25 | 0:04:29 | |
but before they head off, | 0:04:29 | 0:04:30 | |
I want to know if they're ready for the challenge. | 0:04:30 | 0:04:33 | |
Do you already know any Korean? | 0:04:33 | 0:04:35 | |
Have you learnt it in the few hours you've been here? | 0:04:35 | 0:04:37 | |
Well, I've picked up a little bit. | 0:04:37 | 0:04:39 | |
I mean, like, kamsahamnida is thank you. | 0:04:39 | 0:04:43 | |
And Tommy knows the way to introduce yourself. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
Yeah, when you greet someone, you say mannaseo bangapseumnida. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:51 | |
-Sarah? -I'm useless! | 0:04:51 | 0:04:53 | |
I've been relying on these two. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:55 | |
OK. Well, good luck, all three of you. Off you go! | 0:04:55 | 0:04:58 | |
Cheers. | 0:04:58 | 0:05:00 | |
Sarah, Tommy and Ewan now split up and head off | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
to meet their Korean classmates for the first time. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:09 | |
They know nothing about their host families, | 0:05:09 | 0:05:12 | |
and the nerves are definitely starting to show. | 0:05:12 | 0:05:14 | |
Yeah, a bit nervous. | 0:05:14 | 0:05:16 | |
But should be good to meet them. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:19 | |
I think nervous doesn't quite cut it. | 0:05:19 | 0:05:22 | |
Do I press here? | 0:05:22 | 0:05:24 | |
What do I do? This one? | 0:05:25 | 0:05:26 | |
Here we go. | 0:05:28 | 0:05:30 | |
OK... | 0:05:34 | 0:05:35 | |
-Hello! -Nice to meet you. -Hello. | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
Sarah will be staying with 16-year-old Si-yeon. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
When she was young, Si-yeon went to a school for gifted children, | 0:05:51 | 0:05:55 | |
and her favourite subject is maths. | 0:05:55 | 0:05:58 | |
-That's the living room. -OK. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:00 | |
-And the dining table. -Yeah. | 0:06:00 | 0:06:02 | |
-And that's the kitchen. -Oh, my gosh. I'm actually here! | 0:06:02 | 0:06:06 | |
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, | 0:06:06 | 0:06:08 | |
Tommy is going up in the world. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:10 | |
-Hello. -Tommy! -Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:14 | |
Tommy's Korean classmate is Min Young. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:17 | |
He has a bird's-eye view of Seoul from his 36th-floor apartment. | 0:06:17 | 0:06:21 | |
And there's an 86-inch television to amuse him. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:24 | |
Ooh, you've got a home cinema! | 0:06:24 | 0:06:26 | |
That's really cool! | 0:06:26 | 0:06:28 | |
That's a lovely view, as well. | 0:06:28 | 0:06:30 | |
Ewan is the last to meet his Korean counterpart, Young-chang. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:35 | |
-Hello. -Hello, hello. Mannaseo bangapseumnida. | 0:06:35 | 0:06:38 | |
There's no television here. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:40 | |
Young-chang's parents believe it's a barrier to good education. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:43 | |
This is a really nice house. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:45 | |
You make the most of the space as well, it's really good. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:47 | |
Both are top students in their class, | 0:06:47 | 0:06:50 | |
and it's not long before they check out each other's maths homework | 0:06:50 | 0:06:54 | |
and musical skills. | 0:06:54 | 0:06:55 | |
That's amazing. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:21 | |
First impressions, he's amazing. | 0:07:23 | 0:07:25 | |
He can play the piano backwards, for Christ's sake. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:27 | |
I don't stand a chance. | 0:07:27 | 0:07:29 | |
Finally here, I'm finally here, and it's crazy. It's really good. | 0:07:29 | 0:07:32 | |
I look like an idiot now. | 0:07:32 | 0:07:34 | |
Tomorrow, our three Welsh students are going to discover | 0:07:37 | 0:07:40 | |
why Korean education is the toughest in the world. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
What time does school start tomorrow? | 0:07:43 | 0:07:46 | |
We need to be there by eight. | 0:07:46 | 0:07:48 | |
-Eight? All right, OK. -Yeah. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:49 | |
Eight o'clock is quite an early start. | 0:07:49 | 0:07:51 | |
-Yeah, yeah. -But it's all right. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:54 | |
-I think it is math, English and history. -OK. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:58 | |
And then we're going to have dinner at school. | 0:07:58 | 0:08:01 | |
And then we're going to have, like, the extracurricular stuff. | 0:08:01 | 0:08:05 | |
-We stay there until, like, ten. -Ten o'clock at night? | 0:08:05 | 0:08:08 | |
-Ten, yes. -OK. | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
I'm normally fast asleep at ten o'clock, | 0:08:11 | 0:08:13 | |
but...I think I can change for a couple of days. | 0:08:13 | 0:08:17 | |
I don't think I'm prepared for this. | 0:08:17 | 0:08:19 | |
6.45 in the morning, | 0:08:28 | 0:08:30 | |
and in Young-chang's house, there's no sign of Ewan. | 0:08:30 | 0:08:33 | |
-HE KNOCKS ON DOOR -Hello, Ewan? | 0:08:33 | 0:08:36 | |
It's already, like... a quarter before seven. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:42 | |
Yeah, sorry. I fell back to sleep. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:45 | |
-That's normal. -Yeah. | 0:08:46 | 0:08:48 | |
Over at Si-yeon's house, | 0:08:48 | 0:08:50 | |
it's a different type of wake-up call for Sarah over breakfast. | 0:08:50 | 0:08:54 | |
We have this bag in each class for us to put our phones in. | 0:08:54 | 0:08:58 | |
-We have to give our phones in? -Yes. | 0:08:58 | 0:09:00 | |
You're not even just, like, allowed to turn them off...? | 0:09:00 | 0:09:03 | |
I guess you can, but if the teacher finds out, | 0:09:03 | 0:09:06 | |
they'll take it for, like, a week and a half, to a month. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:11 | |
I guess it depends on the teacher. | 0:09:11 | 0:09:13 | |
-They can take your phone off you for that long? -Yeah. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:16 | |
-LAUGHS: -Oh, my God! | 0:09:17 | 0:09:19 | |
I did wake up, and then I just fell back asleep. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:25 | |
-HE SIGHS -Ready for school now. | 0:09:26 | 0:09:28 | |
Apparently, I might be out until 11:30 at night, so... | 0:09:28 | 0:09:31 | |
could be quite interesting. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:32 | |
While Sarah and Ewan make their way to their respective schools, | 0:09:34 | 0:09:38 | |
over at Min-young's house, Tommy's only just getting up. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:43 | |
I don't usually function at this time. | 0:09:43 | 0:09:45 | |
God, you get better weather out here than we do. Much better. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:50 | |
This is like...this is actually quite a nice day. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:55 | |
It gets a bit tiring after lunch. | 0:09:56 | 0:09:58 | |
I think I'll be tired before lunch. | 0:09:59 | 0:10:01 | |
Because Tommy got up so late, his Korean classmate is worried. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:10 | |
We're going to be there on time, I think. | 0:10:10 | 0:10:13 | |
He's never been late to school before. | 0:10:14 | 0:10:17 | |
I'll catch up, don't worry. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:20 | |
In Dankook High School, | 0:10:24 | 0:10:26 | |
punishment for missing the bell is coming in even earlier | 0:10:26 | 0:10:29 | |
to clean the corridors and classrooms. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:31 | |
With seconds to spare, | 0:10:44 | 0:10:46 | |
both have avoided mopping up duties - | 0:10:46 | 0:10:49 | |
for today, at least. | 0:10:49 | 0:10:50 | |
Sarah is creating a bit of a stir over at Suhmoon Girls' School. | 0:10:55 | 0:10:59 | |
Everyone's watching. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:00 | |
Being the only blonde in school can make you quite a celebrity. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:05 | |
I'm not normally awake until about quarter to eight. | 0:11:11 | 0:11:14 | |
It's strange. Too early. | 0:11:16 | 0:11:17 | |
It's ten to eight, and first up, it's English. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:23 | |
And a gentle easing in for Tommy, Ewan and Sarah. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:28 | |
'Well, I'm not very familiar with that genre of music.' | 0:11:30 | 0:11:33 | |
'I cut myself when I shaved this morning.' | 0:11:34 | 0:11:36 | |
'Maybe you could shave in the shower?' | 0:11:36 | 0:11:38 | |
'Hmm, sounds like a good idea.' | 0:11:38 | 0:11:41 | |
More than 99% of Korean students | 0:11:41 | 0:11:43 | |
choose to stay in school after they turn 16, | 0:11:43 | 0:11:47 | |
compared to only 50% back home in Wales. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
For the next three years, they prepare for a make-or-break exam | 0:11:50 | 0:11:54 | |
to get into a good university. | 0:11:54 | 0:11:56 | |
While I wait to see if the kids survive their first day, | 0:11:58 | 0:12:02 | |
I've been looking around the local area | 0:12:02 | 0:12:04 | |
and come across this Buddhist temple. | 0:12:04 | 0:12:06 | |
This sign is pretty interesting. | 0:12:08 | 0:12:10 | |
It's inviting people to come and do 3,000 bows or prayers overnight | 0:12:10 | 0:12:17 | |
this Saturday for... Guess what? | 0:12:17 | 0:12:20 | |
Good exam results. | 0:12:20 | 0:12:22 | |
These mothers are praying for good results | 0:12:27 | 0:12:30 | |
in the end-of-term exams. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:32 | |
Each prayer book has a picture of their child. | 0:12:36 | 0:12:39 | |
And on the roof of the temple, | 0:12:43 | 0:12:44 | |
the light stays on in the family's lantern | 0:12:44 | 0:12:47 | |
until the child reaches university. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:49 | |
In the temple courtyard, | 0:12:55 | 0:12:57 | |
the mothers burn old textbooks | 0:12:57 | 0:12:59 | |
to destroy any possible bad luck in the looming exams. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:03 | |
It is this religious devotion to education | 0:13:04 | 0:13:07 | |
that has helped transform South Korea's fortunes. | 0:13:07 | 0:13:11 | |
60 years ago, nearly 80% of the population here was illiterate. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:16 | |
Today, South Korea is an economic giant. | 0:13:16 | 0:13:21 | |
They did all that through education. | 0:13:21 | 0:13:23 | |
HE CHANTS IN OWN LANGUAGE | 0:13:23 | 0:13:28 | |
So, how good are they? | 0:13:37 | 0:13:39 | |
I've arranged a test for the boys in Dankook School. | 0:13:39 | 0:13:43 | |
-Good morning. ALL: -Good morning. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:47 | |
Today, you're going to be sitting a Welsh GCSE maths exam. | 0:13:47 | 0:13:51 | |
You have 60 minutes, and your time starts... | 0:13:53 | 0:13:58 | |
now. | 0:13:58 | 0:14:00 | |
It's usually a two-hour long paper, | 0:14:01 | 0:14:04 | |
but we've randomly selected half of the questions | 0:14:04 | 0:14:07 | |
to fit this exam into 60 minutes. | 0:14:07 | 0:14:09 | |
-(In my maths exam, I got an A star.) -(An A star?) | 0:14:10 | 0:14:13 | |
(An A star, yeah. I was told to aim for full marks, so...) | 0:14:13 | 0:14:17 | |
After only 15 minutes, | 0:14:20 | 0:14:22 | |
some of the Korean students have already finished the paper. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:26 | |
But even on his second attempt, | 0:14:26 | 0:14:28 | |
GCSE maths is still a headache for Tommy. | 0:14:28 | 0:14:31 | |
For my GCSEs, I got two A stars, four As, four Bs, and a C. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:38 | |
I thought I did quite well, | 0:14:38 | 0:14:39 | |
considering the amount of work I did. | 0:14:39 | 0:14:41 | |
The only grade that I would've liked to have got higher was a C in maths. | 0:14:41 | 0:14:45 | |
I would've liked to get that up to a B, but... | 0:14:45 | 0:14:48 | |
you know, it is what it is. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:49 | |
OK. so, can I just ask you all, | 0:14:52 | 0:14:54 | |
can you put your hands up if you found that paper difficult? | 0:14:54 | 0:14:59 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:15:01 | 0:15:03 | |
OK. So, can I ask you now, can you put your hands up | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
if you found the paper really easy? | 0:15:07 | 0:15:09 | |
OK. Oof! | 0:15:11 | 0:15:13 | |
Everybody found it really easy. | 0:15:13 | 0:15:15 | |
'Well, that was really interesting.' | 0:15:18 | 0:15:20 | |
None of those South Korean teenagers found that paper difficult. | 0:15:20 | 0:15:23 | |
Most of them finished it in about 15 minutes - | 0:15:23 | 0:15:25 | |
it was supposed to take an hour! | 0:15:25 | 0:15:27 | |
I'm not really surprised because the teacher said that paper | 0:15:27 | 0:15:30 | |
was primary school-level maths for those children. | 0:15:30 | 0:15:34 | |
It just shows how far we've got to go to catch up in Wales. | 0:15:34 | 0:15:38 | |
Thousands of children in Wales - | 0:15:38 | 0:15:39 | |
not just in Wales, across the UK - | 0:15:39 | 0:15:41 | |
would've failed that paper this summer. | 0:15:41 | 0:15:43 | |
That says a lot about where we are, and how much we've got to do. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:47 | |
I asked them, and they thought the exam was very easy, | 0:15:49 | 0:15:52 | |
and I said, "Well, some people in our class have failed that," | 0:15:52 | 0:15:56 | |
and they said, "Well, that's...that's astounding," so... | 0:15:56 | 0:15:59 | |
I just think they just work harder, they go over it | 0:15:59 | 0:16:01 | |
and then, an exam they've never studied for before, | 0:16:01 | 0:16:04 | |
they just did it straight through, so...yeah, amazing. | 0:16:04 | 0:16:07 | |
Korean teenagers are exam-busting machines, | 0:16:09 | 0:16:12 | |
and are among the top-performing students in the world. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:15 | |
We know this because of the PISA test. | 0:16:15 | 0:16:18 | |
Every three years, 15-year-olds in 68 different countries | 0:16:18 | 0:16:23 | |
sit the same exams in maths, science and reading. | 0:16:23 | 0:16:27 | |
In the latest PISA maths test, | 0:16:28 | 0:16:30 | |
Asian countries, like South Korea, once again come out on top. | 0:16:30 | 0:16:34 | |
England and Northern Ireland are down with Scotland, at 29th, | 0:16:37 | 0:16:42 | |
and my home nation, Wales, right down at 36th. | 0:16:42 | 0:16:47 | |
One obvious difference here is the long hours they put in. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:53 | |
Sarah is struggling to stay awake. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:56 | |
Others have just given up. | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
But still, the teacher carries on. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:01 | |
I feel really bad because I've gone really sleepy now, | 0:17:04 | 0:17:07 | |
and that lesson, I was just like... | 0:17:07 | 0:17:09 | |
Ooh! | 0:17:09 | 0:17:11 | |
At least there's one similarity between Wales and South Korea - | 0:17:12 | 0:17:15 | |
they do have school dinners. | 0:17:15 | 0:17:17 | |
In Seoul, all kids up to 16 years old have free school meals. | 0:17:17 | 0:17:22 | |
But you won't find any chips being dished out here. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
Korean school dinners are hailed as some of the healthiest in the world. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:30 | |
Plenty of rice, soup | 0:17:30 | 0:17:32 | |
and gut-friendly fermented cabbage called kimchi. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:36 | |
Oh, yeah, rice! | 0:17:36 | 0:17:38 | |
It's really nice. It's sort of like a stew sort of thing. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:40 | |
But there's less stew to it and more meat and veg and stuff. | 0:17:40 | 0:17:44 | |
It's really tasty, really tasty. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:48 | |
With their bellies full, it's back to the classroom, | 0:17:48 | 0:17:51 | |
and our Welsh students are actually getting | 0:17:51 | 0:17:53 | |
a taste for Korean-style lessons. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:56 | |
The method of teaching out here is | 0:17:56 | 0:17:58 | |
they just give it to you in black and white | 0:17:58 | 0:18:00 | |
and you memorise it and you learn it, | 0:18:00 | 0:18:01 | |
but that does not necessarily mean that you understand it. | 0:18:01 | 0:18:04 | |
What stuck out to me a lot is, in class, | 0:18:04 | 0:18:06 | |
they don't even talk to each other. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:08 | |
It's just bizarre. | 0:18:08 | 0:18:09 | |
The school here is better in terms of the results, | 0:18:09 | 0:18:12 | |
but are they really living a life that a young person should be? | 0:18:12 | 0:18:15 | |
I'm not so sure. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:17 | |
In response to such criticisms, | 0:18:19 | 0:18:21 | |
the principal at the boys' school has introduced a school sports day | 0:18:21 | 0:18:26 | |
to tackle the problems of stressed-out and tired students. | 0:18:26 | 0:18:29 | |
This is one of the best schools in Seoul, | 0:18:32 | 0:18:34 | |
and South Korea is at that the top of the international rankings | 0:18:34 | 0:18:37 | |
for education. | 0:18:37 | 0:18:39 | |
But do you feel that this kind of sports day is necessary | 0:18:39 | 0:18:42 | |
to give them some kind of release from that pressure? | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
Yes, that's a part of the reason I do this with these kids, | 0:18:45 | 0:18:47 | |
because, you know, like, this time never comes back, you know? | 0:18:47 | 0:18:50 | |
Like, this is a beautiful time of our life. | 0:18:50 | 0:18:53 | |
But they're kind of, like, squeezed under a big load of pressure. | 0:18:53 | 0:18:59 | |
Their day's probably like 6 till 12 or something. | 0:18:59 | 0:19:03 | |
-6am in the morning to midnight? -Surely, yeah. -Whoa. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
-So they're getting about six hours' sleep? -Six hours' sleep. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:09 | |
That's a very, like...insufficient. | 0:19:09 | 0:19:11 | |
So, we've been seeing some children sleep, | 0:19:11 | 0:19:13 | |
actually nodding off in lessons. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:15 | |
What do you do when you see children doing that? | 0:19:15 | 0:19:18 | |
Actually, I tap the glass, the window of the classroom, | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
and I try to wake them up by sending my finger signal to them. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:26 | |
-Does it work? -Yeah, it's working. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:28 | |
Eventually, probably, that's going to damage | 0:19:28 | 0:19:31 | |
their efficiency of their studies, | 0:19:31 | 0:19:33 | |
because they need to sleep, they can't have lack of sleep. | 0:19:33 | 0:19:35 | |
So that's the primary reason why we're doing this. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:38 | |
It's kind of like some activities to release their stress. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:42 | |
The final event of the day is rope skipping, | 0:19:42 | 0:19:45 | |
and Tommy's been given the responsibility | 0:19:45 | 0:19:48 | |
for swinging the rope for his team. | 0:19:48 | 0:19:49 | |
I'm actually quite nervous. I don't want to get it wrong. | 0:19:49 | 0:19:52 | |
Look how many people are watching! | 0:19:52 | 0:19:54 | |
I'm petrified. | 0:19:56 | 0:19:58 | |
Look! Look how wrong it can go. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:03 | |
Next up, it's Tommy's team. | 0:20:08 | 0:20:10 | |
CHEERING | 0:20:25 | 0:20:28 | |
Most of the Korean students don't know anything about Wales. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:32 | |
That's until they see the flag. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:34 | |
There's one famous Welsh footballer and everyone knows his name. | 0:20:34 | 0:20:38 | |
-STUDENTS: -Gareth Bale! Gareth Bale! | 0:20:38 | 0:20:44 | |
4:20, and the bell rings for the boys. | 0:20:57 | 0:21:01 | |
Over at the girls' school, the lessons may have ended, | 0:21:01 | 0:21:04 | |
but now it's time for after-school study. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:08 | |
Ten hours in, | 0:21:08 | 0:21:09 | |
and Sarah's sitting in the same classroom in the same chair. | 0:21:09 | 0:21:14 | |
I feel really bad, | 0:21:17 | 0:21:18 | |
but honestly couldn't keep my eyes open during that lesson. | 0:21:18 | 0:21:24 | |
It's all getting too much for Sarah, | 0:21:24 | 0:21:26 | |
so her Korean classmate Si-yeon comes to the rescue. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
We're going to get you to go to the nurse's office. | 0:21:29 | 0:21:33 | |
There are a lot of beds there, so you can take a rest. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:36 | |
I feel so bad! | 0:21:36 | 0:21:38 | |
And after that, we can go to my extracurricular class, | 0:21:38 | 0:21:42 | |
and then we go home. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:44 | |
I feel bad going into the nurse's room. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:47 | |
I should be awake, but I'm just so genuinely tired. | 0:21:47 | 0:21:53 | |
As night falls on Seoul, | 0:22:01 | 0:22:03 | |
Ewan and Young-chang make their way to a five-hour self-studying session | 0:22:03 | 0:22:08 | |
in the local public library. | 0:22:08 | 0:22:09 | |
At the moment, we're waiting to get into the library. | 0:22:11 | 0:22:14 | |
I was amazed that there could be so many people all in there at once | 0:22:14 | 0:22:18 | |
and the fact that they're all exquisitely silent. | 0:22:18 | 0:22:21 | |
There was even kids in there studying, about ten years old. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:24 | |
It's surprising but... | 0:22:24 | 0:22:27 | |
shows the work ethic that Korean people have | 0:22:27 | 0:22:29 | |
and it's just impressive, it's amazing. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:31 | |
Studying for 14 to 16 hours a day is normal for Young-chang. | 0:22:33 | 0:22:39 | |
This is his way of staying at the very top of the class. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
I found that if you review your school works | 0:22:42 | 0:22:45 | |
which you've learned on that day then it really helps you a lot. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:48 | |
So the library where I study near my house, | 0:22:48 | 0:22:51 | |
it only opens until ten, | 0:22:51 | 0:22:52 | |
so if I want to study more and finish my work, | 0:22:52 | 0:22:55 | |
then I just come back to school and, yeah, stay here until 12. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:59 | |
My parents' influence is the biggest part | 0:22:59 | 0:23:02 | |
cos my dad grew up in the countryside. | 0:23:02 | 0:23:03 | |
He had a really poor background, and he studied really hard | 0:23:03 | 0:23:07 | |
and he made it into Seoul. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:08 | |
If he can do that, maybe I can study more. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:12 | |
But second purpose is that it's really kind of happy | 0:23:14 | 0:23:17 | |
when you get your results from studying. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:19 | |
It's really not comparable with any other achievements. | 0:23:19 | 0:23:22 | |
Yeah, that's what drives me to study. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:24 | |
When they're not self-studying in libraries, | 0:23:25 | 0:23:28 | |
most Korean students go to private night schools called hagwons. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:32 | |
This area of Gangnam has over 1,000 of these hagwons. | 0:23:32 | 0:23:37 | |
Min-young is taking Tommy to his English hagwon - | 0:23:37 | 0:23:41 | |
a two-hour top-up lesson in English grammar. | 0:23:41 | 0:23:44 | |
I've arranged to meet Tommy at his hagwon, | 0:23:47 | 0:23:50 | |
and on my way over in the taxi, | 0:23:50 | 0:23:52 | |
the driver has plenty to say about the role hagwons play | 0:23:52 | 0:23:55 | |
in society here. | 0:23:55 | 0:23:57 | |
This is mathematics hagwon, and this is English hagwon. | 0:23:57 | 0:24:03 | |
This is mathematics hagwon. | 0:24:03 | 0:24:05 | |
-This is a street of hagwons, really. -Yes. -This is Hagwon Street. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
Yes, that's right. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:09 | |
And the children come here what time? After school? Five o'clock? | 0:24:09 | 0:24:13 | |
About five o'clock to twelve o'clock. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:16 | |
-So at midnight, this street will be full of children? -Yes. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:19 | |
It's crazy. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
Byung-hoon has sent all of his three children to hagwons. | 0:24:23 | 0:24:27 | |
So when you have three children in the hagwons, | 0:24:27 | 0:24:30 | |
how much is that costing you? | 0:24:30 | 0:24:31 | |
Almost 2,000 per month. | 0:24:31 | 0:24:33 | |
-2,000? -For only mathematics. | 0:24:33 | 0:24:37 | |
How many hours do you have to work to pay for the hagwon? | 0:24:37 | 0:24:40 | |
About 14 hours. | 0:24:40 | 0:24:42 | |
-14 hours a day? -15 hours in a day. | 0:24:42 | 0:24:44 | |
-How many days a week? -Six days. -Six days a week? | 0:24:44 | 0:24:48 | |
You're working 14 hours a day. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:50 | |
So you never see your children! | 0:24:50 | 0:24:51 | |
When do you see your children? | 0:24:51 | 0:24:53 | |
Very hard to see children, yes. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:55 | |
It's a high price to pay for hagwons. | 0:24:55 | 0:24:58 | |
Yes, yes, that's right, that's true. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:01 | |
Korean parents spend more on private education for their kids | 0:25:02 | 0:25:05 | |
than any other country in the world. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:08 | |
It's almost an addiction here. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:10 | |
The government has even placed a ten o'clock curfew on the hagwons | 0:25:11 | 0:25:14 | |
to try and control their influence. | 0:25:14 | 0:25:16 | |
To keep the kids out of private education, | 0:25:17 | 0:25:20 | |
the girls' school offers its own version of a hagwon. | 0:25:20 | 0:25:24 | |
But it's all too much for Sarah. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:26 | |
We were supposed to stay until ten, | 0:25:27 | 0:25:30 | |
but I've actually been really tired, | 0:25:30 | 0:25:33 | |
so, luckily, we've been let out a bit earlier. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:38 | |
But, yeah, it's been a really intense day | 0:25:38 | 0:25:40 | |
and definitely not used to staying in school this late. | 0:25:40 | 0:25:44 | |
At his private hagwon, Tommy and his Korean classmate, Min-young, | 0:25:44 | 0:25:48 | |
now face another test. | 0:25:48 | 0:25:50 | |
Tommy, what's the difference between present perfect and past? | 0:25:50 | 0:25:56 | |
-Present perfect? -Yeah. -Uh... | 0:25:56 | 0:25:58 | |
"I have learnt in Wales for 20 years." | 0:25:58 | 0:26:03 | |
OK. Uh...that's present past. | 0:26:03 | 0:26:07 | |
Present perfect. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:09 | |
-Like "have lived". -Yeah. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:12 | |
What is the difference between "have lived" and "lived"? | 0:26:12 | 0:26:14 | |
Uh, I lived... | 0:26:14 | 0:26:17 | |
-I don't know. -Yeah... OK. | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
Can I ask you, cos you've been teaching, tonight, a grammar lesson | 0:26:20 | 0:26:23 | |
to one of our students from Wales, Tommy, | 0:26:23 | 0:26:26 | |
but in the English grammar test, Min-young did better than Tommy. | 0:26:26 | 0:26:29 | |
He should. | 0:26:29 | 0:26:30 | |
Min-young is excellent. He's a good student, | 0:26:32 | 0:26:35 | |
and also he's diligent. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:36 | |
I noticed that Tommy was writing down everything | 0:26:36 | 0:26:39 | |
and he wanted to memorise it. | 0:26:39 | 0:26:41 | |
So Tommy is really diligent and he has passion, | 0:26:41 | 0:26:45 | |
so if there is a system that helps Tommy, | 0:26:45 | 0:26:48 | |
then Tommy can, you know, get a better score. | 0:26:48 | 0:26:51 | |
So hagwons seem to be doing a good job, from your point of view, | 0:26:51 | 0:26:54 | |
but a lot of people criticise them | 0:26:54 | 0:26:56 | |
and they say that children are here too late and they get very tired. | 0:26:56 | 0:26:59 | |
What would you say to that? | 0:26:59 | 0:27:01 | |
You know, personally, I just run this hagwon to help the students. | 0:27:01 | 0:27:06 | |
Everyone wants to go to SNU, Seoul National University, | 0:27:06 | 0:27:10 | |
and I help students to go to those schools. | 0:27:10 | 0:27:14 | |
So, in a family, if someone goes to SNU, Seoul National University, | 0:27:14 | 0:27:18 | |
it's a kind of really big pride in that family. | 0:27:18 | 0:27:22 | |
I think it's a kind of culture. | 0:27:22 | 0:27:24 | |
It's ten o'clock at night. | 0:27:26 | 0:27:28 | |
The hagwons are closing because of the government curfew, | 0:27:28 | 0:27:31 | |
but many students, like Young-chang, are carrying on. | 0:27:31 | 0:27:36 | |
So, where are we going now? | 0:27:36 | 0:27:37 | |
So, we're actually heading back to school. | 0:27:37 | 0:27:40 | |
-Back to school? -Yes. | 0:27:40 | 0:27:41 | |
Our study room is open until, like 11:30. | 0:27:41 | 0:27:43 | |
11:30? | 0:27:43 | 0:27:45 | |
Luckily, we have our bikes there, so I'm sure we'll take them back home. | 0:27:45 | 0:27:49 | |
That makes things easier. | 0:27:49 | 0:27:51 | |
God. And then a long day tomorrow. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:53 | |
-And the one after that. -THEY LAUGH | 0:27:53 | 0:27:56 | |
Dankook Boys' School is open until 11:30 at night, | 0:27:56 | 0:28:00 | |
so they're carrying on with their studying there. | 0:28:00 | 0:28:03 | |
This is a relentless education system. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:05 | |
It's ten o'clock at night, and the street's just full of children. | 0:28:06 | 0:28:10 | |
A lot of them are still in their school uniforms. | 0:28:10 | 0:28:12 | |
And I've been speaking to a few groups of children. | 0:28:12 | 0:28:15 | |
Some of them are tired, some of them are hungry. | 0:28:15 | 0:28:18 | |
One said he would love to be playing basketball, | 0:28:18 | 0:28:20 | |
and one girl I spoke to, she was 14, she said, "I just want to sleep. | 0:28:20 | 0:28:24 | |
"I'm so tired, I just want to go to sleep." | 0:28:24 | 0:28:27 | |
Like other countries around the world, | 0:28:29 | 0:28:31 | |
the Welsh Government has sent civil servants out to South Korea | 0:28:31 | 0:28:34 | |
to see if changes need to be made to our education system back home. | 0:28:34 | 0:28:39 | |
But is this what it takes | 0:28:39 | 0:28:41 | |
to get to the top of the international rankings? | 0:28:41 | 0:28:43 | |
And if it is, is it actually worth it? | 0:28:43 | 0:28:46 | |
Schools open early in Korea. | 0:28:53 | 0:28:55 | |
After the pupils have finished | 0:28:55 | 0:28:57 | |
cleaning their classrooms and the corridors, | 0:28:57 | 0:28:59 | |
it's the start of lessons. | 0:28:59 | 0:29:00 | |
For Ewan and Tommy, | 0:29:02 | 0:29:03 | |
this is a far cry from their school back in Pembrokeshire. | 0:29:03 | 0:29:07 | |
It's 8:30 in the morning. Quite a few people are having a nap. | 0:29:08 | 0:29:11 | |
I think I might join them in a minute. I'm feeling a bit tired. | 0:29:11 | 0:29:14 | |
It's taken a toll on me. | 0:29:14 | 0:29:16 | |
I mean, I prefer our type of school. | 0:29:16 | 0:29:18 | |
They don't have to come in till nine, | 0:29:18 | 0:29:20 | |
they don't have to work so much in the morning. | 0:29:20 | 0:29:23 | |
Across the city, in the all-girls school, | 0:29:26 | 0:29:29 | |
Sarah has more energy than she had on day one. | 0:29:29 | 0:29:32 | |
Yeah, definitely, I'm much more alert today. 100%. | 0:29:38 | 0:29:41 | |
But then again, we have got history and Korean next, | 0:29:41 | 0:29:44 | |
so I don't know how that's going to go for me. | 0:29:44 | 0:29:47 | |
Hopefully, fingers crossed, I'll stay awake. | 0:29:47 | 0:29:49 | |
This all-girls high school is one of the best in Seoul. | 0:29:52 | 0:29:56 | |
These girls are passionate about their education. | 0:29:56 | 0:29:59 | |
They work long hours - | 0:29:59 | 0:30:01 | |
anything from 8 in the morning to 11 at night | 0:30:01 | 0:30:03 | |
to pass their exams. | 0:30:03 | 0:30:05 | |
And what's striking is the respect the teachers have here. | 0:30:05 | 0:30:09 | |
An old Asian proverb says that the king and the teacher | 0:30:11 | 0:30:14 | |
are both equal in status. | 0:30:14 | 0:30:16 | |
No wonder, then, that some teachers have made a fortune | 0:30:16 | 0:30:19 | |
off the back of that belief. | 0:30:19 | 0:30:22 | |
I'm on my way to meet the most famous teacher in South Korea, | 0:30:22 | 0:30:26 | |
and we've arranged to meet in a hair salon. | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
Cha Kil-yong, or Mr Cha to his hordes of adoring fans, | 0:30:31 | 0:30:36 | |
is preparing for his next lesson. | 0:30:36 | 0:30:37 | |
Your hairstyle today, it's your normal style, | 0:30:39 | 0:30:41 | |
or there's a good reason for your hairstyle today? | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
Yeah. | 0:30:44 | 0:30:45 | |
TRANSLATION: | 0:30:45 | 0:30:47 | |
In education-obsessed South Korea, | 0:30:54 | 0:30:56 | |
Cha is a top-ranked maths teacher, | 0:30:56 | 0:30:58 | |
and here, it makes him a celebrity. | 0:30:58 | 0:31:01 | |
HE SINGS IN KOREAN | 0:31:03 | 0:31:06 | |
He looks every bit the pop star | 0:31:10 | 0:31:12 | |
and shares the limelight with some of Korea's biggest idols. | 0:31:12 | 0:31:16 | |
This is Mr Cha's latest single, | 0:31:23 | 0:31:26 | |
an appeal for students to smile as they study | 0:31:26 | 0:31:29 | |
for their big college entrance exams. | 0:31:29 | 0:31:31 | |
You are very rich from this, yeah? You are a millionaire? | 0:31:36 | 0:31:40 | |
TRANSLATION: | 0:31:40 | 0:31:41 | |
He doesn't actually teach in a bricks-and-mortar school. | 0:31:53 | 0:31:56 | |
He's made his fortune by running an online cram school, or hagwon, | 0:31:56 | 0:32:01 | |
part of the country's huge private education business. | 0:32:01 | 0:32:04 | |
And he has a variety of props, masks, costumes and wigs | 0:32:06 | 0:32:11 | |
which he wears according to his mood. | 0:32:11 | 0:32:13 | |
Entertainment is a fundamental part of the learning process. | 0:32:15 | 0:32:19 | |
HE SPEAKS IN KOREAN | 0:32:19 | 0:32:22 | |
But this is a very serious business. | 0:32:22 | 0:32:24 | |
He has three million registrations on his website, | 0:32:24 | 0:32:28 | |
and at any one time, 300,000 students are logged on, | 0:32:28 | 0:32:32 | |
each paying £22 per month to watch his maths lessons. | 0:32:32 | 0:32:37 | |
He is a celebrity superstar. | 0:32:37 | 0:32:38 | |
He has built up an empire here in just six years. | 0:32:38 | 0:32:42 | |
HE SPEAKS IN KOREAN | 0:32:42 | 0:32:44 | |
You think it's stupid, but then you realise that, actually, | 0:32:49 | 0:32:52 | |
even 17-year-olds are captured by him. | 0:32:52 | 0:32:54 | |
He has a massive following, | 0:32:54 | 0:32:55 | |
and it just goes to show how big maths is in South Korea. | 0:32:55 | 0:32:59 | |
HE SPEAKS IN KOREAN | 0:32:59 | 0:33:02 | |
Over in the girls' school, | 0:33:06 | 0:33:08 | |
Sarah is about to have a taste of mathematics, Korean-style. | 0:33:08 | 0:33:11 | |
Teenagers here are notoriously good at maths | 0:33:14 | 0:33:16 | |
and consistently top the international rankings. | 0:33:16 | 0:33:20 | |
But Sarah seems to be holding her own. | 0:33:20 | 0:33:23 | |
I know that one. | 0:33:23 | 0:33:25 | |
You have to add the first number, you minus the two together, | 0:33:25 | 0:33:30 | |
so 5 minus 3 is 2, so that's where the 2 comes from, | 0:33:30 | 0:33:34 | |
and then 5 plus 3 is 8. | 0:33:34 | 0:33:36 | |
Unfortunately for Sarah, | 0:33:36 | 0:33:38 | |
it's first-come, first-solve in this school. | 0:33:38 | 0:33:41 | |
What just happened? | 0:33:45 | 0:33:47 | |
But one of the answers has been left unfinished. | 0:33:49 | 0:33:53 | |
-GIRLS: -Oh! | 0:33:53 | 0:33:56 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 0:34:03 | 0:34:05 | |
I think all the girls knew how to do it | 0:34:05 | 0:34:07 | |
but they just thought they'd let me do it. | 0:34:07 | 0:34:10 | |
I kind of felt like they were doing it out of a sympathy vote, | 0:34:10 | 0:34:13 | |
because that was the easiest one on the board, | 0:34:13 | 0:34:15 | |
and I couldn't do any of the other ones. | 0:34:15 | 0:34:18 | |
But at the end of the day, I got some food out of it, so it's fine. | 0:34:18 | 0:34:22 | |
In between lessons at Dankook Boys' School, | 0:34:24 | 0:34:27 | |
Tommy and Ewan get a chance to visit the school farm. | 0:34:27 | 0:34:31 | |
This is random. | 0:34:33 | 0:34:35 | |
A while ago, they built | 0:34:35 | 0:34:37 | |
this biological study centre, or whatever, | 0:34:37 | 0:34:39 | |
to help with biology and stuff, | 0:34:39 | 0:34:42 | |
and they've just got animals on the school grounds. | 0:34:42 | 0:34:45 | |
And we've come down here, | 0:34:45 | 0:34:47 | |
and there's cats and rabbits and chickens. | 0:34:47 | 0:34:50 | |
It's just bizarre. | 0:34:50 | 0:34:52 | |
Before, this was in much bigger scale. | 0:34:52 | 0:34:56 | |
There were peacocks and iguanas and, like, exotic animals. | 0:34:56 | 0:35:02 | |
I'm allergic, so I don't really want to get too close. | 0:35:03 | 0:35:06 | |
Halfway through their three days in a Korean school, | 0:35:13 | 0:35:16 | |
and the long hours are taking their toll on Ewan and Tommy, | 0:35:16 | 0:35:19 | |
as well as a few others. | 0:35:19 | 0:35:21 | |
The hours are bad. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:26 | |
I'm usually this tired every day. | 0:35:26 | 0:35:29 | |
If you keep doing it, you sort of get tired. | 0:35:29 | 0:35:31 | |
-You get used to it, probably. -Yeah. | 0:35:31 | 0:35:33 | |
When do you go to school? You know, like, when school... | 0:35:33 | 0:35:37 | |
-Nine o'clock, and then we finish... -STUDENTS: -Whoa! | 0:35:37 | 0:35:41 | |
-And we finish at... -Then we finish at 3:30. | 0:35:41 | 0:35:44 | |
-STUDENTS: -Whoa! | 0:35:44 | 0:35:46 | |
By spending so much time with Tommy, | 0:35:46 | 0:35:49 | |
Min-young has a growing curiosity about Welsh education. | 0:35:49 | 0:35:54 | |
I don't think you can say which is better. | 0:35:54 | 0:35:56 | |
People in Wales, they get more active | 0:35:56 | 0:35:59 | |
and they get more social ties, I guess, | 0:35:59 | 0:36:01 | |
and, you know, we study more. | 0:36:01 | 0:36:04 | |
So if we find a middle ground where we can study | 0:36:04 | 0:36:07 | |
and engage in those kind of fun activities, | 0:36:07 | 0:36:09 | |
then I think that would be the best. | 0:36:09 | 0:36:12 | |
In three years' time, | 0:36:12 | 0:36:15 | |
Min, like all other Korean high school students, | 0:36:15 | 0:36:18 | |
will have to sit a university entrance exam, called the CSAT. | 0:36:18 | 0:36:22 | |
The test, offered only once a year, is seen as the make-or-break exam, | 0:36:22 | 0:36:28 | |
not only when it comes to college admissions | 0:36:28 | 0:36:30 | |
but for a teenager's entire future. | 0:36:30 | 0:36:33 | |
It's like a defining moment in your whole education, I guess. | 0:36:33 | 0:36:37 | |
Everyone wants to go to Seoul National University, | 0:36:37 | 0:36:40 | |
which is, like, the top... at the top. | 0:36:40 | 0:36:43 | |
Yeah, I'm aiming for it. | 0:36:43 | 0:36:45 | |
Everyone's aiming for it, I think. | 0:36:45 | 0:36:47 | |
Seoul National University is just like Oxford or Cambridge back home, | 0:36:50 | 0:36:55 | |
and it's just as difficult to get in. | 0:36:55 | 0:36:57 | |
These students are the next generation of Korean maths teachers. | 0:36:59 | 0:37:03 | |
This year, 3,000 students applied | 0:37:03 | 0:37:06 | |
to go on this teacher's training course. | 0:37:06 | 0:37:08 | |
Only 36 got places. | 0:37:08 | 0:37:10 | |
I think maybe 2% or maybe 5% high school grades | 0:37:12 | 0:37:16 | |
can only be admitted to my department. | 0:37:16 | 0:37:18 | |
So if you want to be a maths teacher, | 0:37:18 | 0:37:20 | |
and be trained in this university, | 0:37:20 | 0:37:22 | |
-you're one of the top 2% to 5% of graduates in South Korea? -Right. | 0:37:22 | 0:37:27 | |
Why is it that your best graduates in South Korea | 0:37:27 | 0:37:29 | |
want to become teachers? | 0:37:29 | 0:37:31 | |
What is the number-one reason, do you think? | 0:37:31 | 0:37:33 | |
-Number one, top stability. -A-ha! | 0:37:33 | 0:37:36 | |
-Number two, two months' holiday. -Yeah. | 0:37:36 | 0:37:41 | |
And number three, maybe it's still we respect teachers. | 0:37:41 | 0:37:46 | |
Becoming a teacher is a dream job for many high school pupils. | 0:37:46 | 0:37:50 | |
Do-yen Kim is one of them. | 0:37:50 | 0:37:53 | |
Under enormous pressure, | 0:37:53 | 0:37:55 | |
he studied 16 hours a day for three years solid | 0:37:55 | 0:37:58 | |
to get into this university. | 0:37:58 | 0:38:01 | |
It was real difficult. | 0:38:01 | 0:38:02 | |
Especially in Korea, we have a lot of students | 0:38:02 | 0:38:06 | |
who want to go to college, so the competition is really tough. | 0:38:06 | 0:38:11 | |
We have only one exam for college entrance once a year, | 0:38:11 | 0:38:16 | |
and that is the major source of stress | 0:38:16 | 0:38:20 | |
for lots of high school students in Korea. | 0:38:20 | 0:38:23 | |
After only a few minutes talking to Do Yen Kim, | 0:38:23 | 0:38:27 | |
I could see that it was almost painful for him | 0:38:27 | 0:38:29 | |
to talk about his time in high school, | 0:38:29 | 0:38:32 | |
and then I found out why. | 0:38:32 | 0:38:34 | |
-I lost about two or three friends... -To suicide? Really? -Yeah. | 0:38:35 | 0:38:41 | |
Because they were studying too hard? | 0:38:41 | 0:38:43 | |
One was extremely stressed by the studying part, | 0:38:43 | 0:38:48 | |
and the other also committed suicide, yeah. | 0:38:48 | 0:38:51 | |
Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that. | 0:38:51 | 0:38:53 | |
-How old were they? -Well, they were about 15 or 16. | 0:38:53 | 0:38:57 | |
South Korea has the highest suicide rates in the industrialised world. | 0:38:59 | 0:39:03 | |
It is astonishingly the number-one cause of death | 0:39:03 | 0:39:07 | |
for those aged between 10 and 30 years old. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:10 | |
Some say it's time to make changes to the system, | 0:39:13 | 0:39:16 | |
including the former Minister of Education, | 0:39:16 | 0:39:18 | |
who was in charge of South Korea's success | 0:39:18 | 0:39:21 | |
in the last PISA international rankings. | 0:39:21 | 0:39:24 | |
Those high test scores in PISA | 0:39:24 | 0:39:27 | |
mask very important problems | 0:39:27 | 0:39:30 | |
in Korean education. | 0:39:30 | 0:39:31 | |
For example, Korean students don't have enough time to read, | 0:39:31 | 0:39:36 | |
to do sports, to do music, and to spend their time freely | 0:39:36 | 0:39:41 | |
because they are too much pressured to prepare for their exam. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:45 | |
Even in PISA test, | 0:39:45 | 0:39:47 | |
when they ask Korean students whether they are happy in school, | 0:39:47 | 0:39:51 | |
Korean students were the lowest. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:54 | |
-Really? -It's really worrisome. | 0:39:54 | 0:39:57 | |
It is time for Korean parents to make changes, | 0:39:57 | 0:40:02 | |
to prepare our next generation for the 21st centuries. | 0:40:02 | 0:40:06 | |
Our children may need a different set of skills, | 0:40:06 | 0:40:09 | |
other than just high test scores. | 0:40:09 | 0:40:11 | |
Communication, collaboration and creativity - | 0:40:11 | 0:40:14 | |
they should be nurtured. | 0:40:14 | 0:40:16 | |
The government are introducing changes to the system. | 0:40:20 | 0:40:24 | |
All middle schools now have to allow | 0:40:24 | 0:40:26 | |
one school term free of any written exams. | 0:40:26 | 0:40:30 | |
Though there's still another five terms of exams left. | 0:40:30 | 0:40:34 | |
The aim is to get pupils into sports and other creative activities. | 0:40:34 | 0:40:39 | |
In the girls' school, | 0:40:39 | 0:40:41 | |
Sarah is swapping her classroom for a kitchen. | 0:40:41 | 0:40:44 | |
She's learning how to make Korean pancakes. | 0:40:44 | 0:40:48 | |
Taste, ten. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:49 | |
Presentation is probably about four. | 0:40:49 | 0:40:53 | |
And joining them in the class kitchen are a group of parents. | 0:40:54 | 0:40:57 | |
In South Korea, parents are free to observe the teacher, | 0:40:59 | 0:41:02 | |
to judge the quality of teaching, | 0:41:02 | 0:41:04 | |
and they give them a score. | 0:41:04 | 0:41:06 | |
For most teachers, it's an uncomfortable experience. | 0:41:07 | 0:41:10 | |
Personally, it's awful, but sometimes it's really helpful for me | 0:41:12 | 0:41:17 | |
to keep awake as a teacher, | 0:41:17 | 0:41:19 | |
cos I need to train myself | 0:41:19 | 0:41:22 | |
and sometimes I need to learn more things about education, | 0:41:22 | 0:41:26 | |
and that really helps me to encourage my students, too. | 0:41:26 | 0:41:30 | |
After this lesson, I've kind of got to know everyone. | 0:41:35 | 0:41:37 | |
I still don't know all their names, | 0:41:37 | 0:41:39 | |
but I think they've definitely tried to make me feel welcome, | 0:41:39 | 0:41:43 | |
and I feel much more relaxed now | 0:41:43 | 0:41:46 | |
than I did at the beginning when everyone was just staring at me. | 0:41:46 | 0:41:50 | |
I think they kind of actually see me as a person now. | 0:41:50 | 0:41:53 | |
This lesson, it was as if it could've been a lesson back at home, | 0:41:55 | 0:41:59 | |
and we've got to kind of, like, take over ourselves, | 0:41:59 | 0:42:02 | |
so that was really good. | 0:42:02 | 0:42:03 | |
I think that brought my mood up a little bit. | 0:42:03 | 0:42:06 | |
Teachers are under pressure. | 0:42:06 | 0:42:08 | |
They're not only marked by the parents, | 0:42:08 | 0:42:11 | |
but by their fellow teachers, and even by the pupils. | 0:42:11 | 0:42:14 | |
Korean parents consider it their duty to give their children | 0:42:17 | 0:42:20 | |
every opportunity to be their best, | 0:42:20 | 0:42:22 | |
and they are prepared to make significant sacrifices. | 0:42:22 | 0:42:26 | |
Long into the night, parents are seen ferrying their kids | 0:42:26 | 0:42:30 | |
between schools and top-up classes in the hagwons. | 0:42:30 | 0:42:33 | |
Parents dedicate both time and money into developing the next generation. | 0:42:33 | 0:42:38 | |
It is a responsibility that is taken most seriously. | 0:42:38 | 0:42:42 | |
Tonight, Young-chang is taking Ewan to a three-hour maths hagwon | 0:42:42 | 0:42:48 | |
for some probability equations. | 0:42:48 | 0:42:50 | |
-..all this! -THEY LAUGH | 0:42:50 | 0:42:52 | |
Oh, my God! | 0:42:52 | 0:42:54 | |
You should open a restaurant. | 0:42:54 | 0:42:57 | |
Young-chang's parents pay for this extra tuition | 0:42:58 | 0:43:01 | |
to make sure that he passes his exams. | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 | |
But their sacrifices don't stop with paying for classes. | 0:43:04 | 0:43:09 | |
They even took a decision to move house, | 0:43:09 | 0:43:11 | |
leaving a bigger property to live in this small apartment | 0:43:11 | 0:43:15 | |
because it is nearer to a good school and good hagwons. | 0:43:15 | 0:43:18 | |
The family only see each other at weekends. | 0:43:35 | 0:43:37 | |
Dad works away all week in a nuclear power plant | 0:43:37 | 0:43:41 | |
to pay for the top-up tuition for his son. | 0:43:41 | 0:43:43 | |
Whoa. | 0:43:46 | 0:43:48 | |
That's a big sacrifice, | 0:43:48 | 0:43:49 | |
and this is so Young-chang can finish his education? | 0:43:49 | 0:43:52 | |
Here, parents have high expectations of their kids, | 0:44:10 | 0:44:14 | |
and they're willing to sacrifice so much to ensure their success. | 0:44:14 | 0:44:17 | |
Do I look tired? I wonder why. | 0:44:21 | 0:44:23 | |
While Ewan finishes his hagwon, | 0:44:25 | 0:44:28 | |
Sarah is having private maths tuition in Si-yeon's apartment. | 0:44:28 | 0:44:32 | |
'They're just working so hard.' | 0:44:33 | 0:44:36 | |
I think, in the long run, it probably isn't that beneficial | 0:44:37 | 0:44:40 | |
because of mental health and everything like that. | 0:44:40 | 0:44:43 | |
Sarah's school in Pembrokeshire is more than a place to study. | 0:44:48 | 0:44:52 | |
In her GCSE exam year, | 0:44:52 | 0:44:54 | |
the school helped her through a very tough and emotional year. | 0:44:54 | 0:44:58 | |
Yeah, it's been quite a difficult year this year | 0:44:59 | 0:45:01 | |
because my mum was diagnosed with cancer again. | 0:45:01 | 0:45:04 | |
So, on top of my GCSEs, there was quite a lot of stress. | 0:45:04 | 0:45:08 | |
The school, they helped me so much | 0:45:08 | 0:45:10 | |
because Mum was going through chemotherapy | 0:45:10 | 0:45:12 | |
as I was doing my GCSEs. | 0:45:12 | 0:45:14 | |
So having that support network at school was incredible. | 0:45:14 | 0:45:19 | |
So I hope to go on to do medicine at university | 0:45:19 | 0:45:23 | |
in either Cardiff or Bristol, | 0:45:23 | 0:45:25 | |
which is kind of fuelled by Mum being poorly. | 0:45:25 | 0:45:29 | |
I will do whatever it takes to get into university | 0:45:29 | 0:45:33 | |
and to go on and, obviously, become a doctor then. | 0:45:33 | 0:45:36 | |
So, what if you had to decide | 0:45:39 | 0:45:41 | |
between a Welsh and Korean school for your child? | 0:45:41 | 0:45:44 | |
Which one would you choose? | 0:45:44 | 0:45:47 | |
Welshman Aled Powell met his Korean wife | 0:45:47 | 0:45:51 | |
whilst teaching in a Korean hagwon. | 0:45:51 | 0:45:54 | |
They've now left Korea and live in North Wales. | 0:45:54 | 0:45:57 | |
A tough decision, but one they made | 0:45:57 | 0:45:59 | |
to keep their daughter Arwen out of the Korean system. | 0:45:59 | 0:46:03 | |
When I worked in hagwon, I hated it | 0:46:03 | 0:46:05 | |
because I could feel the students are suffering. | 0:46:05 | 0:46:08 | |
They don't like it. | 0:46:08 | 0:46:09 | |
-I wouldn't like to send Arwen to those hagwons. -No? | 0:46:09 | 0:46:13 | |
ARWEN YELLS | 0:46:13 | 0:46:15 | |
Oh, I think Arwen is saying she doesn't want to go either. | 0:46:15 | 0:46:17 | |
So, you wouldn't really want Arwen going into | 0:46:17 | 0:46:19 | |
a secondary school in Korea, then? A high school? | 0:46:19 | 0:46:22 | |
No, I think the pressures are too high. | 0:46:22 | 0:46:25 | |
They've got a wide range of choice of subjects in Wales as well, | 0:46:25 | 0:46:30 | |
so whatever her interests are, | 0:46:30 | 0:46:32 | |
I think the Welsh system is quite good at catering for that. | 0:46:32 | 0:46:36 | |
It seems these parents have set a course for their daughter | 0:46:36 | 0:46:38 | |
in the Welsh school system. | 0:46:38 | 0:46:41 | |
Or have they? | 0:46:41 | 0:46:42 | |
I think Mum still needs to be convinced. | 0:46:42 | 0:46:45 | |
I think it's just ideal living there | 0:46:45 | 0:46:48 | |
but when she's, like, in secondary school, | 0:46:48 | 0:46:50 | |
I'm not very sure about it | 0:46:50 | 0:46:52 | |
because I don't feel they're encouraged to study hard. | 0:46:52 | 0:46:55 | |
It's good they have choices for their lives | 0:46:55 | 0:46:59 | |
but, especially academically, I don't feel very encouraged. | 0:46:59 | 0:47:03 | |
Here, it's more than encouragement. Here it's pushing. | 0:47:03 | 0:47:07 | |
And it has affects not just on the children, | 0:47:07 | 0:47:09 | |
but on the whole family unit. | 0:47:09 | 0:47:11 | |
There's a few years yet until Arwen starts school, | 0:47:12 | 0:47:15 | |
so plenty of time to decide which country offers the best education. | 0:47:15 | 0:47:20 | |
But our time in Korea is fast running out. | 0:47:20 | 0:47:24 | |
After spending three days in a Korean school, | 0:47:24 | 0:47:26 | |
the Welsh students prepare for their last day. | 0:47:26 | 0:47:30 | |
And for Tommy, he gets a taste of the cleaning duties | 0:47:30 | 0:47:33 | |
dished out as punishment for Korean kids. | 0:47:33 | 0:47:36 | |
Yeah, I know, I was a bit disappointed. | 0:47:36 | 0:47:38 | |
I thought it'd be a grand finale, but no, I'll do cleaning. | 0:47:38 | 0:47:42 | |
On their final day, I've arranged a surprise for the Welsh students. | 0:47:44 | 0:47:49 | |
Their headteacher, David Haynes, has flown out | 0:47:51 | 0:47:54 | |
from Ysgol Dewi Sant in Pembrokeshire to see them. | 0:47:54 | 0:47:58 | |
The students have no idea he is here. | 0:47:58 | 0:48:01 | |
Oh, no! Oh, no! | 0:48:05 | 0:48:08 | |
-Hello... -Oh, no! | 0:48:08 | 0:48:10 | |
-How are you, boys? -It's my headteacher. | 0:48:10 | 0:48:13 | |
Bore da pawb. | 0:48:15 | 0:48:17 | |
Good morning. | 0:48:17 | 0:48:18 | |
Nice to see you, sir. | 0:48:19 | 0:48:20 | |
-Good to see you, sir. -You all right? | 0:48:20 | 0:48:22 | |
-Si-yeon. -Hello, Si-yeon. -Or April. -Or April. | 0:48:22 | 0:48:24 | |
-This is Mr Haynes. -Nice to meet you. | 0:48:24 | 0:48:26 | |
How are you, all right? How are you? | 0:48:26 | 0:48:29 | |
How's Sarah's Korean coming along? Is it good? | 0:48:29 | 0:48:33 | |
-Have you learnt any words? -No. | 0:48:33 | 0:48:36 | |
I would be useless on my own. | 0:48:36 | 0:48:38 | |
It's very different in some ways, similar in other ways? | 0:48:38 | 0:48:40 | |
-Longer days. -Longer days. -Much longer days. | 0:48:40 | 0:48:43 | |
Cos you may only have three lessons one day. | 0:48:43 | 0:48:46 | |
They've got it easy, haven't they, these guys, yeah? | 0:48:46 | 0:48:49 | |
-How are you? -How are you? -Nice to see you. | 0:48:50 | 0:48:53 | |
-Thank you for having the boys. -Welcome to my school. -Awesome. | 0:48:53 | 0:48:56 | |
How many children would you have, entry, in a year? | 0:48:58 | 0:49:00 | |
How many children in one year group? | 0:49:00 | 0:49:02 | |
-About...500. -500 in one year? That's as big as my school. | 0:49:02 | 0:49:07 | |
-Really? -Yeah! -The whole...? -Whole school. -OK! | 0:49:07 | 0:49:10 | |
And that's 11 to 19. | 0:49:10 | 0:49:12 | |
So we have about 80 children a year. | 0:49:12 | 0:49:15 | |
I envy your school. | 0:49:15 | 0:49:17 | |
Sometimes this place reminds me, like, a boot camp. | 0:49:17 | 0:49:21 | |
Too many kids here! | 0:49:21 | 0:49:23 | |
After spending the day at both schools, | 0:49:25 | 0:49:27 | |
I want to find out from the Welsh headmaster what lessons | 0:49:27 | 0:49:30 | |
he thinks can be learned from our Korean counterparts. | 0:49:30 | 0:49:34 | |
I think that the work ethic is first class. | 0:49:35 | 0:49:38 | |
Children are dedicated, they work long hours. | 0:49:38 | 0:49:41 | |
This school stays open till 12 at night for students | 0:49:41 | 0:49:44 | |
to stay behind after school, which is remarkable, really, | 0:49:44 | 0:49:47 | |
something we don't see back in Wales. | 0:49:47 | 0:49:50 | |
Would you like to see schools staying open later in Wales? | 0:49:50 | 0:49:53 | |
Maybe till seven or eight o'clock? | 0:49:53 | 0:49:55 | |
It's certainly something to think about. | 0:49:55 | 0:49:56 | |
I'm not saying we should be open till 12 o'clock | 0:49:56 | 0:49:58 | |
by any stretch of the imagination. | 0:49:58 | 0:50:00 | |
But certainly something that we need to look at. | 0:50:00 | 0:50:02 | |
I think our children do work hard within the current framework. | 0:50:02 | 0:50:07 | |
But they don't work as hard as the kids in South Korea? | 0:50:07 | 0:50:10 | |
They don't work as long, I don't think, | 0:50:10 | 0:50:12 | |
in terms of the amount of hours they spend in school. | 0:50:12 | 0:50:14 | |
And they don't get quite the same level of grades | 0:50:14 | 0:50:16 | |
in their exam results. | 0:50:16 | 0:50:18 | |
They don't achieve the same levels within the PISA test, no. | 0:50:18 | 0:50:21 | |
-However... -So there are lessons to be learned, David. | 0:50:21 | 0:50:24 | |
I said yes. Yes, I agree. | 0:50:24 | 0:50:26 | |
But speaking to the principal here, he's very interested in what we do | 0:50:26 | 0:50:30 | |
with regards to deeper thinking and being creative. | 0:50:30 | 0:50:34 | |
I think there are lessons to be learned from Korea visiting us, | 0:50:34 | 0:50:38 | |
but there's certainly lessons to be learned | 0:50:38 | 0:50:40 | |
by visiting South Korea as well. | 0:50:40 | 0:50:41 | |
From David Haynes' experience, | 0:50:43 | 0:50:45 | |
there's a shortage of top maths teachers in Wales, | 0:50:45 | 0:50:48 | |
so he'd like to bring over maths teachers from South Korea | 0:50:48 | 0:50:51 | |
to solve the problem. | 0:50:51 | 0:50:52 | |
In the health service, | 0:50:52 | 0:50:54 | |
we bring across doctors from other parts of the world | 0:50:54 | 0:50:56 | |
and they contribute greatly to our society | 0:50:56 | 0:50:58 | |
and the provision that we receive. | 0:50:58 | 0:51:00 | |
I don't see it being a problem at all, | 0:51:00 | 0:51:02 | |
that specialists and highly trained professionals coming from | 0:51:02 | 0:51:05 | |
other parts of the world, like South Korea, | 0:51:05 | 0:51:07 | |
could contribute greatly, I think, to our education system. | 0:51:07 | 0:51:10 | |
In three days, | 0:51:11 | 0:51:13 | |
our Welsh students have clocked up more than 100 hours of study. | 0:51:13 | 0:51:17 | |
Double the time compared to back home. | 0:51:17 | 0:51:19 | |
But now, it's all come to an end. | 0:51:19 | 0:51:22 | |
It's time to say goodbye to their Korean classmates. | 0:51:22 | 0:51:27 | |
I feel like I've actually made some good relations here, | 0:51:27 | 0:51:30 | |
and it just feels like they're actually my class, | 0:51:30 | 0:51:34 | |
and I've got used to being in that class. | 0:51:34 | 0:51:36 | |
And it's been fun, and I've been part of the learning experience, | 0:51:36 | 0:51:38 | |
and it's been really good. | 0:51:38 | 0:51:39 | |
So I'm kind of sad, in a way, that it's my last day. | 0:51:39 | 0:51:42 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 0:51:46 | 0:51:48 | |
'Obviously I've enjoyed the whole experience | 0:51:48 | 0:51:50 | |
'and having that opportunity to witness this school.' | 0:51:50 | 0:51:55 | |
But I'm definitely, definitely going to be happy | 0:51:55 | 0:51:58 | |
to get out of this uniform. | 0:51:58 | 0:51:59 | |
Obviously, thank you for making everything so comfortable for me | 0:51:59 | 0:52:04 | |
and really welcoming me. | 0:52:04 | 0:52:06 | |
When we first came here, we felt really alien because | 0:52:06 | 0:52:09 | |
we didn't know anyone and everybody was giving us weird looks, sort of. | 0:52:09 | 0:52:13 | |
Since we've been here, it's only been three days, | 0:52:13 | 0:52:16 | |
and I feel like part of the class, and it's really cool. | 0:52:16 | 0:52:19 | |
It's been a really good few days. It's been very funny, as well. | 0:52:19 | 0:52:22 | |
You've all got really good personalities. | 0:52:22 | 0:52:25 | |
So, yeah, thank you very much, | 0:52:25 | 0:52:26 | |
and I hope you do well in your exams. | 0:52:26 | 0:52:29 | |
Only feels like yesterday I arrived, and I was going to go to school, | 0:52:58 | 0:53:01 | |
but it's all coming to an end. | 0:53:01 | 0:53:03 | |
You know, it's been a really good experience, though. | 0:53:03 | 0:53:06 | |
Certainly I'll remember it for a long time. | 0:53:06 | 0:53:08 | |
Before they leave their Korean host families, | 0:53:10 | 0:53:12 | |
I'm catching up with Tommy, Ewan and Sarah for their final impressions. | 0:53:12 | 0:53:17 | |
I feel like it would benefit the younger years | 0:53:17 | 0:53:22 | |
where education is still compulsory, | 0:53:22 | 0:53:25 | |
to bring in some of the same rules, if you'd say, | 0:53:25 | 0:53:29 | |
as the South Koreans do, | 0:53:29 | 0:53:31 | |
just to kind of improve the work ethic. | 0:53:31 | 0:53:35 | |
I think if there were stronger after-school classes | 0:53:35 | 0:53:38 | |
to help people with problems they might be having a school, | 0:53:38 | 0:53:42 | |
like, if there was a hagwon-based thing, | 0:53:42 | 0:53:44 | |
that would be really good. | 0:53:44 | 0:53:45 | |
-Just not finishing as late. -Yeah. | 0:53:45 | 0:53:47 | |
So more after-school clubs in St Davids | 0:53:47 | 0:53:50 | |
and some more rules, yeah? | 0:53:50 | 0:53:52 | |
Oh, no, cos we sound so bad now! | 0:53:52 | 0:53:55 | |
-We're a bit too soft on the kids at home. -Yeah. | 0:53:55 | 0:53:58 | |
Here, they don't mess around. They give you a punishment. | 0:53:58 | 0:54:00 | |
You get cleaning duty, or you stay after school. | 0:54:00 | 0:54:03 | |
-And you think that's good? It's consistent? -Well, it works. | 0:54:03 | 0:54:06 | |
-People are going to hate us. -It's consistent. | 0:54:06 | 0:54:08 | |
-But I mean... -It's true, though. -..is it what you want? | 0:54:08 | 0:54:11 | |
So, if they were competing against Korean students | 0:54:11 | 0:54:14 | |
for a university place, who would win? | 0:54:14 | 0:54:17 | |
How does a Welsh A-level compare to the Korean CSAT? | 0:54:17 | 0:54:21 | |
At the end of the day, they're studying so hard for that CSAT | 0:54:21 | 0:54:24 | |
that they don't actually get extracurricular options. | 0:54:24 | 0:54:27 | |
So even if they smash those exams, | 0:54:27 | 0:54:30 | |
if we smash ours as well, we win, just simply by circumstance. | 0:54:30 | 0:54:36 | |
Before they head off back to school in Wales, | 0:54:37 | 0:54:40 | |
there's a few more goodbyes to say. | 0:54:40 | 0:54:42 | |
Right, this is farewell. | 0:54:43 | 0:54:45 | |
Oh, my God... | 0:54:47 | 0:54:49 | |
It was a pleasure to have you here. | 0:54:49 | 0:54:51 | |
You guys are going to have to come and stay with me. | 0:54:51 | 0:54:54 | |
I'll be sure to visit your place. | 0:54:54 | 0:54:56 | |
Thank you, cheers. Come here. | 0:54:56 | 0:54:58 | |
We don't do handshakes. Hugs. Thank you. | 0:54:58 | 0:55:00 | |
-Thanks very much. -I was very happy to have you stay. | 0:55:00 | 0:55:04 | |
Thank you for feeding me so much! | 0:55:04 | 0:55:07 | |
The food's been incredible. I'm coming back like...pfff. | 0:55:07 | 0:55:11 | |
You're my son. | 0:55:11 | 0:55:13 | |
-I'm very happy. -I have a nice friend, too. | 0:55:13 | 0:55:15 | |
-Have a nice trip. -It's been good to meet you, man. | 0:55:15 | 0:55:17 | |
-Bye. -Thank you. -Bye. | 0:55:17 | 0:55:20 | |
See you soon, bye. | 0:55:20 | 0:55:22 | |
Thank you! Bye! | 0:55:22 | 0:55:24 | |
-See you, guys. -See you later. -Thank you. -Bye. | 0:55:27 | 0:55:29 | |
Salute. | 0:55:32 | 0:55:33 | |
What we've learned is South Korea's schools are changing. | 0:55:36 | 0:55:40 | |
They're cutting back on the testing. | 0:55:40 | 0:55:42 | |
They're taking the best of our system, | 0:55:42 | 0:55:44 | |
more sports, more creative activities, | 0:55:44 | 0:55:46 | |
and they're applying them here. | 0:55:46 | 0:55:49 | |
But what we're not doing is | 0:55:49 | 0:55:50 | |
we're not taking what they already have here, | 0:55:50 | 0:55:53 | |
which is the foundation of knowledge, which is a work ethic, | 0:55:53 | 0:55:57 | |
which is ambition and aspiration for every child. | 0:55:57 | 0:56:00 | |
And my real fear is these countries | 0:56:00 | 0:56:02 | |
are going to be accelerating away from us | 0:56:02 | 0:56:04 | |
at an even faster rate than they already are. | 0:56:04 | 0:56:07 | |
It's time to head home, and there is one thing I'm keen to do. | 0:56:07 | 0:56:11 | |
Education is a devolved area. | 0:56:11 | 0:56:14 | |
That means the system in Wales is run by the Welsh Government | 0:56:14 | 0:56:17 | |
in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. | 0:56:17 | 0:56:19 | |
In the days before | 0:56:19 | 0:56:21 | |
the latest education rankings are announced, | 0:56:21 | 0:56:23 | |
I meet with Education Minister Kirsty Williams. | 0:56:23 | 0:56:27 | |
I want to see what she thinks about our Korean experience | 0:56:27 | 0:56:31 | |
and find out how she plans to improve Wales' standing | 0:56:31 | 0:56:35 | |
in the international rankings. | 0:56:35 | 0:56:37 | |
Did you think Wales did OK last time round? | 0:56:37 | 0:56:39 | |
No, absolutely not. | 0:56:39 | 0:56:41 | |
I was very clear outside of government, | 0:56:41 | 0:56:43 | |
and I'm very clear now that I'm in the government | 0:56:43 | 0:56:46 | |
that Wales' previous performance in PISA has not been good enough, | 0:56:46 | 0:56:49 | |
and it's not what I wanted to see. | 0:56:49 | 0:56:51 | |
We need to make improvements. | 0:56:51 | 0:56:53 | |
And do you want Wales to be in the top 10, the top 20 in PISA? | 0:56:53 | 0:56:57 | |
I want Wales to improve its scores. | 0:56:57 | 0:56:59 | |
I'm not going to sit here, like other politicians in the past | 0:56:59 | 0:57:02 | |
have made wild predictions about where we will sit. | 0:57:02 | 0:57:05 | |
What's important is the individual scores | 0:57:05 | 0:57:07 | |
that our children can achieve, and we need to make progress. | 0:57:07 | 0:57:10 | |
I want Welsh parents to be engaged, to go into parents' evening, | 0:57:10 | 0:57:14 | |
to take up the opportunities that the school afford | 0:57:14 | 0:57:16 | |
to talk about what they can do to support their children's education. | 0:57:16 | 0:57:20 | |
Take up a place on a school governing body, | 0:57:20 | 0:57:23 | |
let me know about how they perceive Welsh policy is developing. | 0:57:23 | 0:57:28 | |
I'm clear that we are making the changes | 0:57:28 | 0:57:32 | |
that will make a difference to PISA results in the future. | 0:57:32 | 0:57:35 | |
We're not where we should be, we're not where I want to be, | 0:57:35 | 0:57:38 | |
but we are moving forward. | 0:57:38 | 0:57:40 | |
Since filming, Ysgol Dewi Sant has introduced | 0:57:42 | 0:57:45 | |
Korean-style changes to its school. | 0:57:45 | 0:57:48 | |
They're going to ban mobile phones for GCSE pupils | 0:57:49 | 0:57:52 | |
and will make the school day longer | 0:57:52 | 0:57:55 | |
with timetabled study sessions in the evenings. | 0:57:55 | 0:57:58 | |
Though, they still believe that there's more to life | 0:57:59 | 0:58:02 | |
than very long hours looking at a blackboard. | 0:58:02 | 0:58:04 | |
And, coming from Pembrokeshire, | 0:58:07 | 0:58:09 | |
I wouldn't entirely disagree with that. | 0:58:09 | 0:58:12 | |
Of course it's about getting the balance right, | 0:58:12 | 0:58:14 | |
but I'm convinced that, looking at Korea, | 0:58:14 | 0:58:17 | |
there is still a lot for us right across the UK to learn. | 0:58:17 | 0:58:22 | |
# Everybody is kung fu fighting | 0:58:26 | 0:58:29 | |
# Kung fu fighting | 0:58:29 | 0:58:30 | |
# Your mind becomes fast as lightning | 0:58:30 | 0:58:33 | |
# Although the future is a little bit frightening | 0:58:34 | 0:58:38 | |
# It's the book of your life that you're writing... # | 0:58:39 | 0:58:42 |