Children in ISS

Situation in rural area
The view of countryside was just beautiful. It felt like if you grow up with nature, nature will teach you by itself. More friends coming to school, and the economy in the rural areas getting vivid again, children’s lives with the nature would be much happier. I hope the innocent smiles in the children go on forever.
The problem of ISS is related with the depression in the rural economy these days. Many farmers feel isolated from the urban population. They don’t get enough profit from small-sized farming. The gloomy stories coming out from the media such as FTA of UR magnify the depressed atmosphere of the countryside.
Prejudices in rural schools also affect the state of the countryside. The old Korean saying, “the young of horses should go to Jeju, that of man to Seoul.” To get out of the tough situation in the country, farmers are trying to educate their children in the cities, not to make their children become frarmers. As the younger generation in the rural community move out to the cities, the vicious cycle repeats. (See graph 1)

Lives of ISS students
   To look into the lives of the students of the ISS, an Annals reporter went to Chang-rak branch school of Mi-song elementary school, located in the countryside of Seorak-myon, Gapyeong-gun. The school only had nine students, each grade having one or two students. Since they are secluded from the noisy and busy atmosphere of the city, they looked pure and happy, laughing and playing all the time. “I came to the school this year, and I found the students relatively naive compared to those in the big cities,” says Hong Jung-pyo, teacher in Chang-rak branch school. He adds, “Here, they can have a close relationship with the teachers. Since there are only a few children to care for, I can get to know them better. These students also love enjoying nature. I see them running down a field or playing beside a brook, something that city students don’t have a chance to experience these days.”
   Although the students, in their own, way are enjoying themselves, there is something missing- friends. Social skills learned during childhood are important because they help children have an open mind to the world and a broad thoughts and experiences. Children of ISS, however, does not have a chance to become a member in age group. “Since there are only one or two students in one grade, they lack of buddies in their age. They have to play with the older or younger; even that is restricted to a small number,” says Kim Myung-ho, teacher in Chang-rak. Since there are few friends to play with, children in the small-sized schools lack of the experience of playing culture of their own. “I love soccer, but I don’t get a chance to form a complete team to play it” says Lee Young-pyo, third grader in Chang-rak.
   There are also academic problems. Many of the branch schools put different graders in one class since they lack teachers. “In my case, I teach both third and fourth graders in the same class. Thus I have to split one 40 minute period into half, only allowing me 20 minutes of instruction time for each grade. Since students don’t get sufficient time for learning, I have to summarize the lecture every time.” says Yuk Chang-un, teacher in Chang-rak. “Since there are so few students in one grade, there is no competition between students. Students can’t see themselves objectively, and it affects the studying abilities of the children,” he adds. Moreover, they feel difficulties in doing activities suggested in the textbook such as “listening to the opinions of other students,” or “make a group and act together,” which is a major part of elementary education.
Another problem is being shut down. Even now, many children in the branch schools walk more than an hour to go to school. If the schools disappear, children will have a harder time attending school. Yet, due to the severe downsizing of the schools, many of the schools are in the danger of being shut down. 

Change is what we need
   To overcome the shortage of students in rural schools, a change of people’s prejudice is needed. “Actually, the facilities in ISS is getting better these days, thanks to the support from the government,” says Yuk. “It is as good as the ones in the cities.” Still, many or the urban population regard ISS students as “insufficiently educated and poor.”
   Schools are also advertising themselves to villages nearby, to entice more students. In Yo-dong branch school situated in Yeosu-gun, Jeollanamdo, where there are only three students, teachers give them extra activities such as computer, instrument, and English. “Children prefer to stay in school,” says a teacher in Yo-dong. Some schools are having public relation over the villagers nearby. In Mun-sang elementary school in Mun-baek myon, Chin-chun Kun, teachers and parents made “Mun-sang Public relation team” and promoted the change of school to mun-sang.