▲ Elementary school students and their parents are listening an entrance examination presentation by Cheongshim international academy.
  Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced a plan to establish two international middle schools in the capital city, each of which will accept 160 freshmen in the beginning of March 2009. But the plan also drew intense criticism from local parents and teachers who feared the change would force elementary school students into excruciating competition for an elite education. 

  Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced the reasons for processing international middle schools. In Korea the number of elementary, middle, and high school students who are studying abroad were increasing from 26,676 in 2001 to 45,431 in 2006. As the number increases, the trade deficit is accounting four billion. The Office of Education said that international middle schools can suppress demand for studying abroad and raise global students. The school focuses classes related international and classes in English.

  Here doubt occurrs about why young students go abroad for studying and how classes in English can raise global students. First, in Korea English is not way for communication but enormous competitive power. In school entrance examinations the TOEFL, TOEIC, TEPS grades are an important way of succeding in entrance examinations and give opportunity getting high work salaries. So many students go abroad despite the enormous expense and leaving off their life in Korea.

  And education to raise Korea’s competitive power is developing creative talents and science. There is a saying "21c is technology competition age.” If Korea education puts priority on teaching science and developing creative talents rather than improving English, Korea will have a higher value-added business. International middle schools will cause many people to think English is everything in education with ignorance of history, science, and Korean.

  Elementary school students will be keen to compete for entrance international school. Elementary school students who are under 13 will suffer from private education for the entrance examination. And to be adequate for international middle school children’s parents do not mind their child going abroad. The current plan of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education which is acquired by making international middle school will not be worked.

  English is needed as an instrument for global communication. It is better that English education is done step
by step from elementary school. Sudden changes in the degree of difficulty between each education course and content which is not accord with social requirements lead to an increase in private education. Not only in international middle school for a minority, but in all schools for all students a balanced education with other subjects is a way for raising Korean children as global students. It goes without saying that the education is future of nation. 

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