English education city in Jeju

An old Korean proverb says, “Send humans to the capital and horses to Jeju Island.” Nowadays, however, those who want to develop into global talent apparently have to go to Jeju. Amid huge interest from many parents, two international schools opened last month in Jeju’s English education city. The share of Koreans in the student body at international schools in Songdo New City near Incheon and Daegu is 30 percent. Those in Jeju, however, have no limits on enrollment by domestic students. Opinions on the Jeju schools are mixed. Some say they will expand the right to choose schools and absorb demand for studying abroad, but others say their high tuition will stoke class conflict.

North London Collegiate School Jeju, the British school’s first branch abroad, and Korea International School Jeju run by the Korean education company YBM Sisa are Jeju`s first international schools. North London is a prestigious British school offering the International Baccalaureate certificate. Among those with the certificate, graduates of North London have ranked No. 1 in scholastic performance for six years in a row. The Jeju branch offers courses on preparation for entrance to prestigious British universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, and also teaches the Korean language and history and social studies. Considering the suffering of separated families due to their children studying aboard and reverse culture shock of those returning home after studying abroad, sending children to international schools in Jeju is a viable option.

The problem with such schools is high tuition, however. This goes against their initial promise to provide cheap and high-quality education in English. The annual tuition of North London`s Jeju branch is 27.67 million won (23,650 U.S. dollars) for high school students. If dorm expenses are added, the figure rises to 42 million won (35,900 dollars). In addition, the school is under fire for being a "school for aristocrats.” Just 19 of the Jeju school`s 436 students are foreigners and 37 percent of Korean students are from Seoul’s three posh districts south of the Han River. Such expenses, however, are half of the cost of studying abroad. If 12 international schools to be established in Korea attract a combined 9,000 students who would otherwise go abroad to study, the country will prevent foreign currency outflow of 324 million to 540 million dollars.

The poor cannot afford to attend such international schools, but money is not the major factor in entering the schools. The British school has chosen 572 students from 1,229 applicants, and among successful candidates, 436 have enrolled in the school. North London has placed scholastic ability over revenue from tuition. Experts say many students will drop out of the school due to the rigorous curriculum. For Jeju to succeed as an English education city, the college entrance rates of graduates from its international schools are crucial.

Editorial Writer Chung Sung-hee (shchung@donga.com)