About SMOE (Government Public School Teaching Job in SEOUL)

[SMOE ORIENTATION VIDEO September 2009]

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1. STATUS OF SCHOOL

As of 2004, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education accommodates 2,210 schools with 1,573,684 students and 72,711 teachers.

To meet the industrial needs, the ratio of students attending vocational high schools to those attending academic high schools is steadily increasing.

2. EDUCATIONAL FINANCING

In drawing up an educational budget, emphasis is put on maximizing revenues and maximizing current expenditures. Priorities are given to school operational expenditures, improvement of educational facilities and aid to private schools.

3. EDUCATION SYSTEM

SMOE School System

The basic school ladder is a singular track composed of six years of elementary school, three years of middle school, another three years of high school, and four more years of college or university schooling. Primary education in Korea is free and compulsory providing the general rudimentary education necessary in life. Enrollment rate at primary schools is as high as 99.9%. The quantitative expansion of primary education is due to the high public zeal for education and the educational policies of the government.

The sudden increase in the number of students and the migration of the rural population into cities has prompted the government to create an education tax in 1982 to finance the expansion and modernization of physical facilities and to improve the socio-economic status of teachers. As a result, the number of students per class dropped to 34.8 in 1990. Overcrowded schools have been divided into smaller ones and the double shift system of classes has been terminated.

With the revision of the regulation that prohibited children under six from entering primary school, even five year olds who are thought to have the ability became eligible to enter school if there is space.

In addition, to expand foreign language education, English has been taught as a part of the regular curriculum starting in 1997, one hour per week for third and fourth graders, two hours per week for fifth and sixth grade students.

The purpose of middle schools is to conduct standard secondary education on the basis of primary education. Since 1969 there has been no limitation placed on entrance to middle school and all who wish to enter middle school have been assigned to the school nearest their residence. Free compulsory middle school education began in 1985 in remote island areas and has been expanded to county areas between 1992 and 1994. All cities across the nation have adopted the compulsory education system since 2002.

High school education is mainly aimed at providing secondary and basic advanced education based on middle school education. High schools are divided into general high schools, vocational high schools, and others (foreign language, art, and science high schools).

Graduates of middle schools or the equivalent may enter high schools. The period of study is three years and students bear the expenses of education. Admission into high school used to be based on the grades of a selection examination, but there has been some variance in the admission process between equalization-applied areas and non-equalization areas since 1974, when the equalization policy for high schools went into operation. In other words, applicants for vocational high schools are given the opportunity to choose their school and to be selected by a selection examination or based on achievement in middle school, while applicants for general high schools are not given the opportunity to select their school but are assigned to a school in their residential district.