by REERA YOO
For the first time ever, children from multicultural families now account for more than 1 percent in South Korean schools, reported The Chosun Ilbo.
According to the Education Ministry, there are approximately 67,806 multicultural children in South Korean schools, comprising slightly over 1 percent of the total student population of 6.33 million. This is roughly a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
Despite the number of schoolchildren drastically declining every year due to low birthrate, multicultural students have increased by 6,000 to 8,000 per year since 2009.
Children from diverse cultural backgrounds continuously pose challenges for the Korean education system, according to The Korea Herald. In reference to a survey commissioned by the Education Ministry, many high school textbooks depicted multicultural families as “the others,” causing multicultural students to often feel alienated in their classrooms.
This has led families to discourage their children from learning the language of the non-Korean parent out of fear that the children will not become fluent in the Korean language.
However, the Education Ministry is making strides toward assimilation and has reportedly allocated $21 billion this year toward programs for multicultural students, according to The Korea Herald.
Photo courtesy of Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald
