Give students a break

It’s time to abolish the system of after-school self-study programs run by most high schools in Korea. These programs of night-time study have been forced on students by school officials for dozens of years. Teachers also pressure their students to participate in the after-school study programs. As a result, there has been perpetual friction between students and their parents on the one hand and teachers and school officials on the other.
Students already spend about seven hours in regular classes on weekdays. They are also supposed to stay about two more hours to take supplementary lessons before the school-run after-school study at night.
According to a recent survey, 55 percent of high school students said that these after-school programs run by schools are ineffective. Only 20 percent of them said after-school studying is useful. The rest said they don’t know whether the system is effective or not.
After finishing this self-study around 10 p.m., they are totally exhausted. Most of them still go to cram schools to take other classes. This makes students dead to the world. As teenagers, they need time to refresh themselves.
Wu Jeong-ryeol, a student at Hyekwang
High School