August 10, 2007

Korea's on the curriculum in Irvine
Irvine teachers, Korean parents learn from each other in seminar for the sake of education.
BY JORGE BARRIENTOS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

IRVINE Why don't Korean students look teachers in the eyes? Why do Korean students excel in American schools? Why don't Korean students speak up in class?

These are some questions that parents and teachers answered during a recent three-day seminar as a way for Irvine teachers and South Korean families to better understand each other for the sake of public education.

"We are acting as a bridge between the parents and schools," said Illan Kim, president of the Irvine Korean Parents Association. "We are trying to bridge that gap a little bit, have parents understand, and have teachers understand the Korean culture."

The Korea Summer Institute is a collaborative effort among the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, Irvine Korean Parents Association (all parents are South Korean), and Fullerton International Resources for Students and Teachers at Cal State Fullerton.

In the workshop at Bethel Korean Church in Irvine that ended Thursday, 20 Irvine teachers learned about Korean history, culture and education – from North and South – with guest speakers and cultural performances.

They learned, for example, that Korean students don't look into the eyes of their elders out of respect. Also, Korean students rarely speak up in class, because they are used to having teachers lecture only, with no discussion. And why the high grades? Korean schools are more strict and difficult than American schools, and parents and students push just as hard.

Last school year, Korean students made up about 12 percent of all students in Irvine Unified, roughly 3,000, according to the district. Northwood High School has the highest percentage and population of Koreans in Irvine, at 18 percent, or 385. The high number of Koreans attending Irvine schools is not a coincidence, parents said. By word-of-mouth, Koreans share that the place to go for a good American education is Irvine, they told teachers.

Kathy Wanchek, a Lakeside Middle School humanities teacher, said she has at least five Korean students in each of her classes.

"We ran for the opportunity to join because it will help kids," she said. "There are things we can take from here to make class better."

The parents raised about $15,000 for the seminar, and the Fullerton program contributed also. It is the first of its kind for the school foundation's Program to Advance Cultural Education. Officials said they hope more cultures will be represented in future programs.