I've been reading about Korean education and want to know why it's looked down on

[Narwhalosh Whalescream]

Why not use the finnish education system? Same results but less suicide. God bless Finland.

[Zython]

I've been very admiring and envious of South Korea's fiercely competitive, ruthless educational and social policies that allow their country to flourish as it does: You're either a winner or a loser. People are mind washed into being so scared of being a loser or "losing" in South Korea, they give up their lives to study at the expense of their happiness. It has a double-edged drawback of making the country a hotbed (10th worldwide) for suicide but the people that come out on top are always big winners in adulthood.

What I want to know is: In this life where we're always racing and struggling for permanent security in adulthood, what's wrong with expunging all the distractions growing up if it means you will most likely reach that end? People often complain American youths and education are declining owed to social trends and rebelliousness and still look down on the way Korea does things. Not for a lack of success but due to supposedly being "morally reprehensible."

I envy Korea because I wish I grew up in such an environment. As an adult, I live a constantly miserable life of regret owed to a lack of proper discipline and being spoiled with what forms the basis of my happiness like video games, unfortunately.

Well, @Jinro is a product of that system. I think that's a good argument for the system's failings.

[Infraction]- Do not name and shame.

[Wilfire]

Cramming tons of information into your head is so outdated in an age of internet and smartphones lol. But so was it a thousand years ago with access to libraries...
Just learn how to find the information you need, critically access it and employ it. There's no need to keep everything in your head. But just about every system of education worldwide still insists on cramming, cramming and more cramming.

[d00mGuArD]

Cramming tons of information into your head is so outdated in an age of internet and smartphones lol. But so was it a thousand years ago with access to libraries...
Just learn how to find the information you need, critically access it and employ it. There's no need to keep everything in your head. But just about every system of education worldwide still insists on cramming, cramming and more cramming.

Yeah, you come on an interview and when the boss ask you questions you say "I don't know it, but I know how to find it".
The same thing if you are in employment, and everything they ask you to do, you start googling for it.
Will work out great for you! The first thing they will think about you is "Boy this guy is so modern! none of that outdated knowledge cramming with him! He has no knowledge, but he knows the knowledge exists out there! Lets hire him!" ... said no one ever

[Wilfire]

Yeah, you come on an interview and when the boss ask you questions you say "I don't know it, but I know how to find it".
The same thing if you are in employment, and everything they ask you to do, you start googling for it.
Will work out great for you! The first thing they will think about you is "Boy this guy is so modern! none of that outdated knowledge cramming with him! He has no knowledge, but he knows the knowledge exists out there! Lets hire him!" ... said no one ever

...and then all of the most important posts in society are occupied by ignorant buffoons who recite imperfectly memorized information from their fallible memories. Maybe if we valued people who know how to handle information instead of people who just cram information into their heads we wouldn't have a complete clusterfuck at every level of society?

[Seranthor]

I've been very admiring and envious of South Korea's fiercely competitive, ruthless educational and social policies that allow their country to flourish as it does: You're either a winner or a loser. People are mind washed into being so scared of being a loser or "losing" in South Korea, they give up their lives to study at the expense of their happiness. It has a double-edged drawback of making the country a hotbed (10th worldwide) for suicide but the people that come out on top are always big winners in adulthood.

What I want to know is: In this life where we're always racing and struggling for permanent security in adulthood, what's wrong with expunging all the distractions growing up if it means you will most likely reach that end? People often complain American youths and education are declining owed to social trends and rebelliousness and still look down on the way Korea does things. Not for a lack of success but due to supposedly being "morally reprehensible."

I envy Korea because I wish I grew up in such an environment. As an adult, I live a constantly miserable life of regret owed to a lack of proper discipline and being spoiled with what forms the basis of my happiness like video games, unfortunately.

Saying you 'wish' you grew up that way and then doing nothing about it is a character flaw... If you really want your life structured like that sometimes you have to take the initiative... put down the anime and the video games, find a job, get some education... be the structure you want for your life...

You can achieve it if you really want it.

- - - Updated - - -

Take night classes or something then.. jesus christ. Stop blaming your shitty life on your parents when it was your decision to skip school.

You make a very good point.

[Neenaw]

Looked down on by whom?

If you're basing this from an American viewpoint, then I wouldn't put much significance on the fact that Americans look down on something different to themselves.

[Yriel]

You can't deny how much better a lot of people would be if they studied their asses off and genuinely did everything right up to 18. Because then even if you're not a super winner, you still have a fighting chance at finding a good life.

I doubt that because your competition is always relative to you. If you are middle-of-the-pack now and have problems because of that, in a system where you had to study 16 hours a day there is no guarantee that you won't end up as middle-of-the-pack as well.
Yes you will probably be better educated but so will be everybody else. So when it comes to getting one of those awesome jobs there will still be a lot of people that are better than you.