KOREAN NET

The month of March has begun and a warm breeze greets us. Every creature that had gone into hibernation started to stretching themselves. Hangeul Schools, where they teach the Korean language, in China have also begun to embark on a new adventure after being closed due to the pandemic.

According to the overseas Korean status 2021 released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the number of Korean residing in China totaled 2,350,422, ranked second followed by the United States. The recent years, the number has been declining but still a host of Koreans and their children are living in China. 'Language education' is the most crucial field that forms and consolidates Korean identity of overseas Koreans. Because Korean language is the core foundation where Korean identity can be created and flourished. That is why the Overseas Korean Foundation (OKF) is operating Hangeul Schools as one of its essential support policies. Based on a statistics in reference to 'Study Korean' run by the OKF, the number of Hangeul Schools in operation in China is 98 as of December 2022.

Upon reopening doors of trades and exchanges in China after a three-year-long lockdown due to the pandemic, the OKF has sent common questionnaires to each Hangeul School in China asking how it feels to be reopened after a long break. Below are responses sent from major Hangeul Schools, depicting warming atmosphere and hopes at the threshold of the first semester 2023.

A. Hangeul School in Guangzhou (Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Guangzhou)

1. Followed by the zero-Covid restrictions conducted by the Chinese government last year, the Hangeul School in Guangzhou started its online classes from November. As such policy came to an end early this year, many students hesitated to register for face-to-face classes, while some actually registered for the classes with high anticipations. As a result, the number of registered students surged a bit compared to last year, reaching a total of 140 students in 11 different classes for the first semester 2023—two kindergarten classes, six elementary level classes, one secondary level class, and two multicultural classes.

2. Since the school is reopened to the public after the pandemic, all parents were invited to the opening ceremony. Some 50 parents visited the school and celebrated the ceremony together. We are planning to hold the school's sports meet next month where students can play with joy. In May, in an effort to understand Guangzhou the region we're living in, we are scheduled to hold a contest on selecting the best video clips introducing the region's attractions under the theme of a "treasure hunt in Guangzhou." Other than that, we are preparing for special lectures targeted at parents.

3. It is hard to anticipate remarkable learning effects from students only through Saturday classes. It is necessary to create an environment for students to realize the reason why they need to learn Korean language and take an interest in studying the language. Though a class hour is short, we keep on mulling ways to boost satisfying learning effects.

4. We are planning to conduct surveys from both students and parents to find out what they really want to learn. We will do our utmost to reflect the survey result on the curriculum and the operation of our Hangeul School.

▼ Courtesy: Hangeul School in Guangzhou

Back-to-school of the Hangeul School in Guangzhou

Back-to-school of the Hangeul School in Guangzhou

Young students draw pictures during class at the Hangeul School in Guangzhou.

Youth volunteers of the Hangeul School in Guangzhou pose for a ceremonial group photo

B. Hangeul School in Beijing (Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China)

1. The situation here has returned to times before the pandemic broke out and parents are allowed to visit the school freely.
Visitors and students no longer need to go through quarantine tests or check body temperature before entering the school. Students can enter the school without any burden. Also, parents' meeting was held face-to-face on the first day. We are providing supports on signing up for a safe insurance related to school's learning activities for weekends.
The number of students registered in the first semester last year was 234, while this year ended up 209. The decline was followed by the decreasing number of Koreans in Beijing after the abolishment of zero-Covid restrictions.

2. Based on this year's class schedule, the weekend school will be running. We are scheduled to hold a folk play called Dano, the festival held on the fifth day of the fifth month, a writing contest, and an event on writing thank you letters to parents and teachers. We are also planning to publish an annual school newsletter called the "Promising Kids of Beijing." The school is arranging a physical education class once or more monthly and Korean history classes for fifth to ninth grade students.

3. Our school's learning condition is relatively good compared to other local schools since our school is run under the Beijing International School. However, parents have to bear the trouble by visiting a designated bank to pay tuition every semester. Moreover, we have hard time dealing with administrative works related to parents' complaints and requests on additional registrations, class changes after the registration, and grade changes.

4. If the budget allows, we are slated to operate a separate basic classes organized to teach students who are poor in Korean language.

▼ Courtesy: Hangeul School in Beijing

Back-to-school of the Hangeul School in Beijing

Principal delivers keynote remarks during a parents' meeting of the Hangeul School in Beijing

Leader of the parents' meeting delivers greetings during a parents' meeting of the Hangeul School in Beijing

C. Hangeul School in Qingdao (Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Qingdao)

1. The mood here is full of joy and energy as if the time has returned to before the pandemic after going through the end of 2022 and the early this year. Schools no longer have to worry about following preventive measures against COVID-19 or implementing untact class. Indeed, schools are opened with high anticipations from parents and students. Even teachers are so relieved and happy to concentrate more on planning classes rather than preventive measures. The number of students enrolled increased to 97, 20 more enrolled compared to that of last year during the pandemic. Even more local Chinese kids have registered to learn Korean language.

2. This year we are able to plan and implement outdoor activities in group. We invited parents to hold face-to-face meetings in three years. We are preparing for a sports meet this year. We are thrilled to have kids to make good memories and experience a lot with their friends here at the Hangeul School again. The school is scheduled to host events for students to experience Korean traditional folk plays and culture in the second semester. The school is also slated to hold events related to creating literary works and a writing contest.

3. Since our Hangeul School is using a part of the Qingdao Chungwoon Korean School building, our condition is relatively stable than other schools. However, under local regulations, our Hangeul School has no choice but to be operated under the table and the school would definitely hit hard again if another pandemic breaks out. Many students who dropped out from the school during the pandemic returned to the school this semester. But we are worried that as three years of learning vacuum could not be filled shortly, fostering identity of students could be fallen short. We hope that either the OKF or the ministry could take much interest and provide supports so that our Hangeul School can be operated stably.

4. First, our goal for this year is the normalization of the school operation. We are going to bring events that have been canceled or put off back in place and propagate them so that students who weren't able to attend the school due to the pandemic could return. We will do our best in all fields of the overseas Korean community to normalize the school.

▼ Courtesy: Hangeul School in Qingdao

Students of the lower grades gather in class on the first day of the Hangeul School in Qingdao

Students of the upper grades take class on the first day of the Hangeul School in Qingdao

Faculty members and students convene for the first morning assembly of March of the Hangeul School in Qingdao

A representative explains class schedule during a parents' meeting of the Hangeul School in Qingdao

D. Hangeul School in Hong Kong (Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong)

1. Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate on Mar. 1. A rapid antigen test conducted before entering the school everyday has been completely abolished as of Mar. 16. Teachers who felt sorry to part ways with many students in the past due to the pandemic said they were so excited to meet new students in this new semester. They also said that in past years actual faces of students and teachers were hard to be recognized because all of them had to wear masks in classes. But they look forward to seeing new and bright faces in new semester.
The number of students enrolled in our school was 452 as of the end of last year. The first semester this year began with 496 students which is a 10 percent increase.

2. We are planning to resume outdoor activities that have been delayed since the second half of last year. This year, the school's sports meet is scheduled in fall and we are going to support outdoor activities for each class. For the sake of students who experiences hard time studying on weekends, in tandem with young volunteers comprised to Korean university students, the school is preparing for special activities to motivate such students.

3. A number of kids in kindergarten and elementary level attend the Hangeul School under parents' guides, but the number of students in a secondary level and above plunges. We think benefits suitable for secondary-level students and above should be prepared. We hope that learning programs of the Hangeul School and its diploma could be reflected in the university entrance exams in Korea.
The educational system of the Korean Saturday School in Hong Kong is six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and two years in high school. In that sense, every year the school yields graduates completing the whole 11 years of education. Even though they are born overseas, we believe those graduates are equipped with identity, background knowledge and high achievement motivation like everyone else in Korea. Such set of qualifications cannot never be discerned from TOPIK level 6. We hope such considerations can be reflected in university entrance evaluation. If that is possible, students here will never give up with high motivation until the graduation.

4. We can declare this year the year one of rebirth after the pandemic. The school will go through a lot of changes, but such changes are not about going back the period before the pandemic—rather changes that goes in parallel with the new era. Rather than looking back what we have done or how we did, we will transform ourselves by considering what this generation wants in the first place. First and foremost, we are planning on teachers' training programs in an attempt to boost educational literacy and knowledge necessary to well understand the new generation. Furthermore, we will build classes where students can participate and create their future on their own.

▼ Courtesy: Hangeul School in Hong Kong

Students on their way to the Hangeul School in Hong Kong

Students in class at the Hangeul School in Hong Kong

As if environment and culture varies by countries, conditions and social situations differ by regions overseas. During the pandemic, not a single nation was exempt from agonies and hardships and, most of all, overseas people's life was hit the hardest. China, in particular, had restricted entries to any of public facilities due to its rigorous zero-Covid policy, putting the Hangeul School that teaches Korean language once a week in difficult position for three years. That is why this March turns into special and meaningful moment for the school, as we can catch a glimpse of such atmosphere from above responses.

Flower buds that have held their breath during the whole winter have at last bloomed in this spring and so does the Hangeul School here. So as to prosper further, the school needs much interest and a lot of supports from Korean communities. Difficult period is far gone and it is time to move forward, starting this March, by building the Hangeul School where kids can create exhilarating future together.