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Multicultural Plan:

Creating a Multicultural Education in a South Korean Elementary School

Sydney Gard

Rider University

Author’s Note:

This project has been completed for CURR 548 OL1: Curriculum and Instruction for

Diverse Learners. It is being submitted on August 2nd, 2019.

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The objective of this assignment was to create a plan for the implementation of

Multicultural Education in my current school, a public Elementary School in the heart of

Daejeon, South Korea. Along with the creation of this plan, areas of needed improvement were

identified, programs to implement and professional development opportunities were suggested.

The ultimate hope of infusing Multicultural Education into this school is so that it can be infused

with all of the schools in South Korea for the benefit of our students, global community, and

future global relationships. It is my wish that through Multicultural Education, Korean culture

will be enriched through the embrace and further incorporation of diversity in its culture.

There are several reasons why Multicultural Education will greatly benefit South Korean

students and society. First, South Korean culture is very homogenous. According to Park Si-soo,

a writer for the Korean newspaper ​The Korea Times,​ foreigners account for a mere 3.4% (or 1.76

million people) of South Korea’s population (2017). Due to this very small amount of a foreign

presence, many Korean people do not know how to properly interact with foreign individuals.

Educating students about culture does not extend far beyond the study of their own culture. And

while it is important to provide a thorough education of one’s own culture, it can be suggested

that without learning about other cultures children can become ethnocentric and prejudiced

against those who are culturally different from a very early age. This will only discourage to

acceptance of diversity, healthy cross-cultural relationships, and the creation of a global

community.

Additionally, there are often negative perceptions of foreigners from certain countries and

even negative views on people who are “mixed blood”, a person who is half Korean and half

foreign. These individuals at times can receive very poor and racist treatment. This would be
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corrected through the teaching of generations about the importance of diversity and cultural

acceptance from a young school age. As the foreign population increases, as well as the numbers

of tourists who visit South Korea annually, it would benefit the country greatly to learn more

about cultural diversity.

The importance of an English education in South Korea is considered extremely

important. From when their children are quite young, parents wish to provide their children with

English lessons. Knowing how to speak English is a symbol of status, intellectual status. And

intellectual status can get you a high ranking social class status. High English exam scores are

highly sought after by the top universities in Korea, and recently the Korean SAT exam and

college placement exam was changed to include more difficult and challenging English

questions. Unfortunately, these questions are even far too difficult for a native English speaker.

One must wonder why parents and students continue to try to push through this wall, even

though it’s almost impossible to surpass. It is believed that English education combined with

Multicultural Education will benefit students in multiple ways.

By learning English and cultural diversity together, students can receive a more authentic

learning experience. Studying abroad is considered a luxury that many parents try to provide

their children. Some families cannot afford to move abroad for one year or more, and others

might only be able to afford to send their child but do not wish to live separately from them for

so long. As a result, these families experience very little about different cultures. As for the

families that can afford to go, they usually experience very sharp culture shock because of the

stark contrast between the homogeneity of their home culture and the vast amount of diversity

present in the culture they visit. Regardless of traveling abroad or not, the combination of
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language studies with culture and diversity studies would go hand-in-hand in educating students

about cultures and diversity.

Lastly, based on personal observation and data collection via personal interviews (Gard,

2019), it was found that the Korean Special Education program for students with low-level,

gifted, and exceptional abilities was very insufficient. Special Education programs are only

offered during school vacations, and do not require student attendance. Additional student

support is not offered outside of what the homeroom teacher can provide via collaborative

seating arrangements and supplementary worksheets, as the teacher has not received any special

training for these students. While there is a Special Education class, parents can deny their child

attendance, despite the fact that they might really need it and benefit from it highly, and force

their child to participate in a standard classroom. In Korea, being labeled as “stupid” or

“disabled” in any way is seen as a negative thing that brings deep shame and embarrassment.

Students are expected to study hard and make good grades. By incorporating Multicultural

Education in schools, the negativity associated with being different and learning differently will

be changed. A better Special Education Program will be implemented and students can receive

more support in school and a better education overall.

It is my hope that by implementing Multicultural Education in my school that a wave of

change will wash over South Korea, and make changes for the better. In order to make this

happen, areas of needed improvement within the school were identified and specific suggestions

were made in an attempt to correct those areas so that they would align with Multicultural

Education. Through this suggested plan, it is my wish that diversity in Korea would become
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more widely accepted, and that future generations would become better, more knowledgeable,

and more culturally aware participants of the global community.

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References

Banks, J. A. (2019). ​An introduction to multicultural education.​ New York, NY: Pearson.

[Kindle edition]

Gard, S. (2019). ​Leadership Growth Project: Assessment and Data Collection Strategies of an

Elementary School in Daejeon, South Korea ​[Scholarly project]. Retrieved from

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uT-npPFGSr9Hv7-V7xxNAydXvwilL1-SCIwd6gv

XOwY/edit?usp=sharing

Gargiulo, R. M., & Bouck, E. C. (2018). ​Special education in contemporary society: An

introduction to exceptionality.​ Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. [Kindle edition]

Love, N., Stiles, K.E., Mundry, S., & DiRanna, K. (2008). ​The Data Coach’s Guide to

Improving Learning for All Students: Unleashing the Power of Collaborative Inquiry.

Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Park, S. S. (2017, November 17). 1.76 million foreigners live in South Korea; 3.4% of

population. Retrieved August 1, 2019, from

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/11/281_239423.html

Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://npbea.org/psel/