Fulbright U.S. Education Center

As reported in the Joongang Daily newspaper, Koreans who cancel their registration for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) will receive larger refunds soon.  Korea’s Fair Trade Commission announced that the Graduate Management Admission Council, a Virginia-based organization that manages the tests, has agreed to raise the percentage of registration fees that local applicants can get back if they bail out of the test, whatever the reason.  Starting in November, individuals who cancel their exam at least seven days in advance will get back 60 percent of their  $250 registration fee.   Those who cancel closer to the test will receive a 20 percent refund.  Under the current policy, Koreans receive a 32 percent refund if they cancel more than seven days in advance, and no refund if they cancel closer to the test.

As reported in The Korea Times yesterday, Korean students will have to put up with tougher administration of the SAT test starting in May.  The Educational Testing Service (ETS), the United States organizer of the test, said Sunday that applicants from Korea, Thailand and Vietnam will be barred from using any kind of electronic devices including mobile phones at examination sites from next month.

The test organizer also decided to treat applicants who are over 22 years old separately, regarding them as adult applicants.  Also, only passports will be accepted as identification for those who take the SAT tests outside their homeland.   The reinforcement of test management came after Korean SAT lecturers were apprehended for leaking test questions.

The SAT is administered seven or eight times a year to about 3 million students around the world.

On September 29 of this year, Donald R. Back, Director of the Language and Culture Institute, which is part of Outreach and International Affairs at Virginia Tech University visited Fulbright’s U.S. Education Center.  We apologize for this delayed post regarding his visit.  His visit included a broad and useful discussion of trends in the Korean education market, student recruitment, and digital media developments.   Pictured in the photo above, from left to right are Fulbright Deputy Director James Larson, Donald Back, and Fulbright Executive Director Shim Jai Ok. (click on the photo to see a full-size version)

A headline caught my eye in the Joongang Daily the other day.  ”Daewon to Ax English Listening Tests in ‘10.”    In 2010, English listening tests will be scrapped for second year middle school students who plan to apply for admission to Daewon Foreign Language High School, one of the nation’s premier foreign language schools.  Instead, candidates will be selected based on recommendations from principals, school grades, and assessments by admissions officers.   The selection will also take into account regional balance in admissions.

Daewon is the first among 30 such schools nationwide to abolish the English listening test.   The principal of Daewon indicated that the new system is being adopted in order to counter the charge that foreign language high schools are the cause of the private education boom in Korea.

On September 11, Dr. Hwang, Jong-Sung, Executive Vice President, IT Policy Division of the National Information Society Agency (NIA), visited Fulbright along with two 2009-2010 Luce Scholars, Nathaniel Gleicher and Brittan K. Heller.  The Asia Foundation Office in Korea facilitates the placement of Henry Luce Scholars at professional work sites in Korea.  Both Nathaniel and Brittan are graduates of Yale Law School.  Nathaniel is working with the NIA and Brittan is working for Gong-gam, a public interest law firm in Korea.  All three visitors are pictured meeting with Dr. James Larson, Deputy Director of the Fulbright Commission.

An article in today’s Korea Times deals with the increasing number of Koreans who are traveling to the Phillipines for English Study.  The last five years, in particular, have seen a phenomenal rise in numbers.  Foreigners who want to enroll in Philippine schools are required to get either the Special Study Permit (SSP) or a Student Visa.  In 2004, the data showed 5,877 South Koreans were given SSPs in the Philippines. The figure increased three-fold to 17,904 in 2005. The numbers continued to increase over the next three years. In 2006, 21,876 Koreans obtained SSPs while 27,322 got the permits in 2007. Last year, 29,155 Koreans were granted permission to study short-term courses in the country.

There are several important factors behind the English education explosion in the Phillipines.

• The Phillipines has affordable education.
• The country can be reached by plane from Korea in just four hours.
• The Phillipines has a low cost of living.
• It also has the allure of white sand beaches and tropical weather.

The surge in popularity of the country as an ESL destination has spawned the rise of illegal language centers, especially in the provinces.  Experts have also noted that there are no regulations that serve as teaching standards when it comes to ESL.

The Academic Credit Bank system (ACBS) is an open educational system which recognizes diverse learning experiences gained not only in-school but also out-of school. When the learner accumulates the necessary ACBS-approved credits, he/she can be awarded a degree.  The Academic Credit Bank System, a central agency for continuing education, aims to provide all citizens with greater access to a variety of educational opportunities and to foster a lifelong learning society. It seeks to innovate, diversify and maximize the educational opportunities for both students, studying at post-secondary institutes, and adults, seeking additional education and training.

The ACBS is intended to benefit the following groups:

 Credits are acquired primarily through education and job training institutes, part-time enrollment, certificate acquisition, and passing the Bachelor’s Degree Examination program for self-education. The ACBS also grants recognition to a learner’s diverse learning experiences, including prior course credits and various forms of learning.

 Educational institutes are formally evaluated to be an ACBS-accredited institute offering courses which can be counted as university or college equivalent credits.

 The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), the National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE), and Provincial Offices of Education are involved in the administration of the Credit Bank.

 For further information: https://www.cb.or.kr/indexs.html ( for English click ‘English’ button on the top right corner)