Zeitgeist - June 2009

It occurred to me that with a number of interesting world events taking place right now, maybe it would be fun to place The Brain of Phil in context. So, here is the zeitgeist of June 2009.

In Korea:

• a former President, Roh Moo-hyun, committed suicide after being targeted for questioning over allegations of receiving bribery money.
• North Korea tested a second nuclear bomb in an underground test, raising tensions once again on the peninsula (and scaring my family back in Canada yet again)
• swine flu has caused a minor hysteria in Korea; a language school nearby recently shut its doors for a week, and my own employer has taken some rather unprecedented measures to prevent staff and students from catching the pig sickness -- but will these measures be enforced?

Around the world:

• In Cairo, Barack Obama made his speech to the Muslim world in an effort to heal centuries-old wounds
• an Air France jet crashed into the Atlantic Ocean
• In Bangkok, David Carradine accidentally offed himself (it would seem) while engaging in some kinky self love
• Roger Federer FINALLY won the French Open, largely thanks to Rafa Nadal bowing out of the tournament early
  

Web Cram Schools: Education in Korea

The New York Times has an article today about the growing trend in South Korea toward online supplementary education. It talks about how Koreans are spending a fortune (yet again) on online courses offered by places like MegaStudy. They cite the number "20 trillion won" (roughly $20 billion) spent last year in private education expenses by desperate parents as clear evidence of a rather nasty, and nutty, reality for Korean students -- one that often leads them to late nights of additional learning instead of something so trivial as sleeping.

In truth, this is merely the latest iteration of a phenomenon that has long existed in Korea -- the obsession with education in order to get the highest scores on college entrance exams. The concept of meritocracy exists as much here on this peninsula in north-east Asia as anywhere else on Earth. And now the country is pouring additional government funds into upgrading an already impressive broadband network.

Look, you don't have to convince me of the merits of online education. I've done it (thanks, University of Phoenix). I've also watched a language academy I worked for during the past decade develop an online curriculum to supplement its in-class courses. I'm a believer. Making education and training available online, 24/7, with a smorgasbord of course offerings is the ultimate democratizing of learning.

It is interesting how much money is to be made by teachers and company owners by these online educational ventures -- some teachers are raking in millions of dollars annually, according to the NYTimes article. That's in a country of 50 million people. What about India or China? How much could the same companies make in those countries, with 20 times the population? Ch-ching!