Transition team rolls back English-language policies

Posted on : 2008-01-29 11:05 KST Modified on : 2008-01-29 11:05 KST
Public sentiment was influential in bringing about reversal

Incoming President Lee Myung-bak’s transition team announced that it has reversed its position on English-immersion education. It will not implement its plan to initiate nationwide English-immersion programs, under which all classes would have been taught in English by 2010.

At a briefing on January 28, Lee Dong-kwan, the spokesman for the transition team, said the incoming administration has no plans to pursue English-immersion education at the national level. “Some schools that operate autonomously, such as independent schools or those in special zones, have already adopted English-immersion programs voluntarily but there has been, and will not be, any assistance from the state,” Lee continued. New educational courses to be launched in 2010 will focus on strengthening English-language speaking and writing skills only within the context of classes that teach English as a foreign language, but classes in other subjects will not be taught in English, according to Lee.

The transition team has apparently changed its position due to what has become a powerful public sentiment against the idea of implementing English-immersion education in the public schools. Parents, teachers and education policy experts alike criticized the plan for its impracticality and an anticipated increase in the amount parents would have had to pay in supplemental education expenses.

Lee Kyung-sook, the chairwoman of the transition team, in speaking to reporters at a press conference held on January 22, had said that all classes at elementary and secondary schools would be taught in English regardless of subject. A public hearing slated for January 30 will now focus on ways to increase the number of classes conducted in English at these schools.

The transition team appears to have canceled the English-immersion plan following strong objections by parents and those in the education community against the English-language education policies of the incoming administration. In particular, educational experts, teachers and parents have strongly criticized the transition team’s plan to initiate English-immersion education, saying that it will further increase the nation’s dependence on private education and cause students to fail in their regular course of study.

In a related development, the transition team plans to introduce a new testing system to evaluate English-language proficiency. The test would replace the English portion of the college entrance exam and would be used to evaluate reading and listening skills on a regular basis beginning in 2013, according to the transition team. Spokesman Lee said, “A regular test, to be conducted from 2013, will only test reading and listening skills - similar to the current (college) entrance examination. A test for evaluating English-language ability in the four areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing is expected to be conducted as early as 2015.”

The presidential transition team has also decided to create a task force to strengthen English-language education in the public schools. The task force will include transition team Chairwoman Lee and Lee Ju-ho, an advisory member of the transition team’s subcommittee on society, education and culture. In addition, members of the subcommittees on society, education, and culture, and planning and coordination, as well as outside experts, will join the task force. The transition team will hold a public hearing on English-language education in the public schools, which will be attended by more than 10 education experts, on January 30.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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