Last time, I talked about Korean Education and how it is different from Western education. To summarize, Korean education is rigid style which base on the textbook and memorize. Contrasting to it, western education offers individual creative thoughts toward the certain issues or topic.

I briefly talked about Education in order to mention about the on going issue happening in Korea. To explain what this issue is, the current president of Korea decided to change the textbook of Korea, specifically History textbook.

What’s so special about it?

Well, until now, Korea used various textbooks; no fixed single textbook to be used in the education. So sometimes books covered slightly different information and focus points. But current president Park Geun Hye decided to change this and unify into single book. It sound pretty reasonable. But there are a lot of disagreement going on between students. Let’s see what are some agreements and disagreements of unifying history textbook.

Agree:

1. Since there are various history textbooks (more than one kind), confusion can be caused upon students in learning history. It is because different publishing house include slightly different knowledge. (They have main topic to teach but it may vary upon which textbook they are using).
2. It is believed that history should be taught in “neutral” perspective. Indicating that history should be taught in an objective standard.
3. There are a lot of errors or mistakes made in the authorized textbooks. So the mistakes should be almost completely fixed in new textbooks.
4. It is duty for us, governors to deduce the pressure on entrance examination. (Entrance examination is the exam that high school students take in order to go to university. Apparently, there is increasing pressure given to the students due to this examination getting harder.) Also, since there are a lot of textbooks covering slightly different information, students have to study all of them in preparing for examination.

Disagree:

1. We should teach students in various and wider perspectives/ opinions so they are not slanted to single perspectives or opinions.
2. The interpretation of history is just a part of study but it can’t become solid opinion.
3. History can be made through debate but not solidly through opinions and interpretation. (Meaning, history can’ be decided and recorded according to one’s opinion or interpretation. But rather has to be debated to find one general idea)
4. When it comes to history, when publishing textbooks, it could include views that may be biased/ prejudiced. (Because people share somewhat different perspectives toward single event or idea)
5. Even though the publishing companies are independent, it doesn’t mean the published textbooks just get in to students’ hand without going through governments’ verification.
6. For example, one of Korea’s Independent activists, Dr. Yoon Bong Gill is great example. In Korea and China, he was and is considered as one of the greatest activists who fought for the independence from Japan. Moreover, China’s most powerful authority mentioned single Chosun man (Korean man) did what China’s 100 thousand soldiers couldn’t do. On contrary, from Japanese government, he was mentioned as terrorist and murderer for killing their general. This shows how the words, phrases and sentences are decided through the which perspectives it is being viewed through. Moreover, it changes the perspectives of the students depending on what perspectives they are created to be viewed.

In present, opinions of citizens were quite competitive but it is inclined more toward disagreement.

Personally, I am more inclined to disagreement due to various reasons. First of all, as some of who went through IB program in my high school, I know that history is very sensitive topic to talk about. It is because history can be changed as the time flows by where they have more evidences been found with technological advancement and others. Moreover, history that we are currently learning may not be true. It may change completely because we know history is mostly based on the record that is left by winner” of the event.

The reasons that I disagree is:

• Current textbook is anyway going through verification of Government of Education to check any inappropriate information included so why there is needs to create new textbook that is unified. –> Also could think it is waste of money.
• Personally, I believe it is REALL IMPORTANT to view history in different perspectives rather than one single perspectives. History forms when different ideas come to form into one. (It is because history is mainly recorded events, people has different perspectives and view even though they are standing at the same spot at the same time.) So, going through various perspectives to create history book is VERY important.
• It is true that examination is hard. How about making the examination easier since students are not only struggling with single subject, History but all other subjects.

What do you think?