Engaging youths by building trust
Sergeant Bae Tae-ju slides down a snowy slope on Dec. 17 in Jangmi Park, Wonmi District, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, with her former club members. By Ahn Seong-sik
The boy who texted her that day is a mentor of sorts, who settles disputes among friends and offers advice to those seeking it. But he used to be a bully himself. Until recently, the teen would harass other students, even pocketing their money. He was on a dangerous path until last May, when he was arrested for participating in a group fight against neighboring middle school students. After that, he took steps to turn his life around.
That’s when Bae stepped in. The police sergeant formed a guitar club with 20 students who had all had previous run-ins with authorities.
She asked a nearby youth facility to provide meals and a venue. A local youth support group offered the guitars, while Bae’s fellow officers taught them how to play. The students were distant at first, but over time they began to open up.
“The fundamental solution to preventing juvenile delinquency is building up upright character,” she said.
Bae was among three community leaders awarded Korea’s first Character Education Prize on Dec. 26. The award, presented by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Gender, Equality and Family and the JoongAng Ilbo, is handed out to those who demonstrate excellence in character education and have made an impact on local youth.
Bae began forming art and music clubs from 2012, supported by donations from youth facilities and local NGOs. She held regular meetings each week and became like a sister to those she counseled. After meeting her, those labeled troublemakers eventually became model students.
To date, about 500 teens have cycled through her program, and 30 among them still check in with her.
“There is no ‘delinquent’ from the beginning,” Bae said. “The best character education is concern and attention from adults.
Another prize recipient, Ryu Mi-gyeong, the vice principal of Pohang Jecheol Dong Elementary School, focuses on consulting and communication when it comes to her educational approach.
On the morning of Dec. 6, Ryu stood at the main gate of the school, high-fiving all the students who entered.
“My vice principal knows the name and face of every student at school,” said fifth-grader Park Ji-hyeon. “We are as good as friends because she knows how to talk to students.”
Ryu consults with at least five to six students every day.
“She knows every single detail of these students’ lives. Sometimes she knows more than the students’ homeroom teachers,” said Lee Jeong-min, a student at the elementary school.
The educator began helping students through communication in 1996, when she was studying counseling psychology at graduate school. “Sympathy and understanding at their level is the root of character education. They never go astray when they know that they are trusted,” Ryu said.
Over the past 10 years, she has given more than 700 lectures to teachers and parents on her methods.
Another educator, Ji Hyeong-deok, the principal of the Saemsil Open School in Donghae, Gangwon, is also like a father to the disadvantaged students in the area.
Ji, the third recipient of the Character Education Prize, has taken a leading role in character education since he founded Saemsil Open School in 2006. He has also headed a number of leadership training courses and camps and formed a youth football team in 2009, teaching more than 100 students.
“Giving teens the opportunity to see the wider world and to have a dream is really the best character education there is,” Ji said.
BY YOON SEOK-MAN [bongmoon@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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