In this blog post, I reflect on whether the ‘ladder of learning’ offered to underprivileged students can lead to genuine equal opportunity, based on my experience volunteering in education.
I have been volunteering with an organization called ‘People Sharing Learning’ for a year and four months since last summer. This volunteer work has provided me with significant learning opportunities and makes me deeply appreciate the value of social responsibility and service every week. ‘People Sharing Learning’, abbreviated as ‘Baena-sa’, is an organization providing educational volunteer services to socially marginalized children. It is South Korea’s largest educational volunteer group, with over 250 students and more than 400 volunteers participating. This place, where diverse children gather and countless volunteers dedicate themselves, plays a vital role in opening new possibilities for students deprived of educational opportunities. The group primarily aims to teach students from socially marginalized backgrounds. While some students come voluntarily, many are referred by schools that have nearly given up on them or by local governments. The reason for introducing this organization is to share my personal experience within it and the insights gained from it.
This semester, a particularly noticeable student joined our class. This student had been part of the athletic team until the first semester of their second year but had to give up sports due to an unexpected accident. Consequently, they had hardly studied at all until then. His parents had supported him to focus entirely on sports, but the sudden accident changed all their plans. As his life shifted, the unfamiliar task of studying became a burden. His grades naturally dropped, and his motivation for learning waned. Even during exam prep, he often just guessed answers during the problem-solving time. He had rarely solved problems on his own or experienced a sense of accomplishment.
However, as lessons continued, I began to sense significant potential within this student. Though initially negative about studying, he gradually gained confidence as I patiently explained concepts from the basics. While he often guessed answers in units building on prior knowledge, unexpected progress emerged when he understood new material and tackled problems. In units requiring application of that day’s learning alone, he demonstrated excellent problem-solving skills and calculation abilities. His concentration and strong mental fortitude, honed through sports, supported him, and eventually, I could see this student gradually improving his grades. So, I am thoroughly teaching him the foundational content he needs. I also add extra activity time each week to help him start over from the basics. While he is still at a beginner level now, I firmly believe that if his passion and effort continue, he has great potential for further growth.
This experience has opened new perspectives for me in teaching at Baena Sa. I’m constantly surprised to see that even students ranked at the bottom of their class and placed in ‘remedial classes’ can show significant potential when taught from the fundamentals. It makes me realize that many students with hidden potential are around us, but often limit themselves simply because they haven’t been given the opportunity. Watching students gradually improve their grades and develop an interest in learning drives home the importance of providing equal educational opportunities. This process is long and slow, but it ultimately becomes a catalyst for them to master learning methods and experience a sense of accomplishment. This transformation is not merely about improved grades; it’s the first step toward personal growth and reveals the immense power of learning.
So why are these students placed in ‘lower-level classes’ at school, and why do they themselves give up on studying? I believe the reason lies in societal structures and the inherited inequality in education. The Korean middle and high school curriculum is actually not very complex. Rather than demanding difficult calculations or high-level comprehension, it is at a level where one can follow along without major difficulty by simply acquiring basic understanding and rules. Especially in subjects like math and science, where mastering fundamental principles is key, individual effort and a little assistance can yield results. However, the current education system tends to categorize students based on whether they have received advanced learning and accepts the resulting grade differences as a natural outcome.
The core problem here lies in the evaluation methods of public education. Most public schools currently divide students into classes based on their current grades, differentiating their education. This directly leads to disparities in educational opportunities based on household economic status. Students from families with greater financial means gain placement in advanced classes through prior learning, securing more educational opportunities. Conversely, students from disadvantaged backgrounds often fall behind early on, a gap that gradually widens, ultimately creating significant differences in academic achievement. Consequently, the phenomenon where students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds fall behind due to lack of preparatory learning transcends a simple ‘academic gap’ and leads to inherited social inequality. Indeed, examining admission rates to prestigious ‘SKY’ universities reveals that high schools in specific areas like Gangnam-gu achieve significantly higher admission rates compared to other regions. Furthermore, statistics showing that children of parents with a college degree earn up to 24.4% more than those of parents with only a high school diploma, even with identical CSAT scores, starkly illustrate the current reality of educational inequality.
To break this stratification, I feel the necessity of an ‘educational ladder’. This ladder provides the foundation for individuals to transcend class through effort and willpower. I believe we must become a society where dreams are achieved through individual effort and accomplishment, not parental wealth or access to private tutoring. To achieve this, we must implement school-centered assessment methods within public education to eliminate the need for private tutoring. Educational volunteer organizations like Baena Sa should provide supplementary support to students lacking access to private tutoring opportunities. If these processes are realized, we can mitigate social stratification and provide fair opportunities for competition.
The ‘educational ladder’ I refer to ultimately means realizing the equality of opportunity, as discussed in welfare societies, through education. This is not merely about improving grades but is an essential effort to reduce social disparities. Educational volunteerism like Baenasaw serves this ladder function and can be an excellent example of filling the void left by private tutoring. While institutional change is undoubtedly difficult to achieve, I believe that persistently attempting small changes can eventually lead to significant transformation.
Thanks to preparation at a cram school during middle school, I was able to enter a science high school and subsequently gain admission to university relatively smoothly. Having received significant benefits from society through this process, I now participate in volunteer activities hoping to offer my own small contribution. My experience at Baenaesa has been a great learning experience for me, and I intend to continue building this ladder through ongoing volunteer service.
