South Korean children come last in 30-nation happiness survey

South Korean children are the least happy in a survey of youngsters in 30 countries which examined how satisfied they were with their lives.

The South Korean government cited the stress of the nation's educational pressure cooker in the study among developed countries. The nation ranked at the bottom, followed by Romania and Poland.

"The most relevant factor to the children's life satisfaction is academic stress, followed by school violence, internet addiction, negligence and cyberviolence," the health ministry said of its survey of more than 4,000 families with children under 18.

World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim, himself born in South Korea, said the educational system put a heavy burden on children, with its focus on competition and long hours of work.

South Korea's survey results were measured against those of 27 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, plus Romania, Latvia and Lithuania.

The survey comes as around 600,000 South Korean students gear up for the annual college entrance exam, with places in prestigious schools and a pathway to a secure job at a top corporation on the line.

When the test is held on November 13, the country's stock market will open an hour later and office openings will be delayed to ensure students don't get stuck in traffic.

More than half of children aged between 15 and 19 who are suicidal give "academic performance and college entrance" as a reason, according to National Statistics Korea.

Parents are well-known for marching their children off to cram schools until late in the evening, and beginning English tutoring in kindergarten.

Article Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1632068/south-korean-children-come-last-30-nation-happiness-survey

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 VOCABULARY WORDS:

1. Survey (n.) ~ a sampling or partial collection of facts, figures, and opinions taken and used to approximate an analysis

2. Youngsters (n.) ~ young people

3. Cite (v.) ~ to mention in support, proof, or confirmation

4. Relevant (adj.) ~ connected with the matter at hand

5. Gear Up (verb phrase) ~ to get ready for a future situation

6. Prestigious (adj.) ~ having a high reputation

7. Secure (adj.) ~ firmly established

8. Stuck (adj.) ~ to become fastened, hindered, or stationary by some obstruction

9. Well-known (adj.) ~ widely known

10. Cram (v.) ~ to prepare for an examination in a short period of time

 COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. How many countries were surveyed?

2. According to the article, what is the main factor for the Korean children’s unhappiness? What are the others?

3. When is the annual college entrance exam held for this year? What usually happens in Korea before and during the exam day?

QUESTIONS FOR CONVERSATION:

1. How do you feel about competition based education system? Discuss your answer.

2. What can be done to lessen the stress that the Korean students are experiencing?

3. As a parent, are you pressuring your children to be the very best in everything? Why?