ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL PILOT PROJECT

NOTES PROJ SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 9/77. RECOMMENDS THAT REPUB OF KOREA (ROKG) QUICKLY SETTLE COLOR VS BLACK/WHITE TELEVISION CONTROVERSY TO ALLOW KEDI TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCT OF NEW TRANSMITTING FACIL IN ORDER TO FULLY USE ITV EQUIPMENT SYSTEM. KEDI GAINED PUBLIC SUPPORT AND MODERNIZED THE KOREAN EDUC SYS. MIN OF EDUC WILL IMPLEMENT NEW SYS ON 1/1/79 IN REMOTE AREAS AND ISLAND COMMUNITIES OF KOREA. PROJ HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY TECHNOLOGY DELAYS AND BY CERTAIN IN-HOUSE FIGHTING OVER THE CREATION OF AN INDEP BROADCASTING SYS. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, KEDI HAS DEVEL NEW COURSE CONTENT, NEWSTAFF SYS, NEW SCHL ORG THROUGH PROGRAMMED MATRLS, RADIO, TV. NEW SYS REQUIRES LESS PERSONNEL; IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE. AMONG SHORTFALLS/PROBLEMS ARE: 1. DELAY IN IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTIONAL SYS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS DUE TO KEDI"S HAVING TO PRODUCE MOST OF THE TEXTS TO BE USED IN THE INSTRUCT SYS. 2. A RECENT HIGH SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGR LOWERED GENL STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT RESULTS NATIONWIDE AND THIS WILL IMPACT ON THE CURENT DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SYSTEM. UNEXPECTED RESULTS: KEDI WILL BE ASKED BY MOE TO TEST A MODELHIGH SCHOOL SYS; FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM MOE RESULTED IN CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH MOE. LESSONS LEARNED: THE SUCCESS OF THIS UNDERTAKING IS LARGELY DUE TO CERTAIN FACTORS WHICH ARE UNIQUE TO THE KOREAN SETTING, I.E., HIGH LITERACY RATE (97%); HIGH RATE OF SCHOLARIZATION (97%); HIGH PARENTAL AMBITION; HIGH STUDENT MOTIVATION; AND HIGH DETERMINATION TO MODERNIZE AND NATIONALIZE THE EDUC SYS AT ALL LEVELS. IN ADDITION, THE HIGH QUALITY OF PLANNING AND IMPLMNTATION WHICH WENT INTO THE INITIAL PILOT SCHOOLS CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESSOF THE PROJ AND GAINED KEDI A LARGE SUPPORTING CONSTITUENCY AMONG STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINS ALIKE. APPROX $1/2 MILLION IS NEEDED IN 1979 FOR INTROD NEW SYS TO SOME 450000 STUDENTS IN REMOTE AREAS OF KOREA. THEREAFTER, NEW SYS WILL COST $10 MILLION A YEAR TO IMPLEMENT NATIONWIDE NECESSITATING A SLOW BUILD-UP IN THE BUDGETARY PROCESS. HOWEVER, THIS SHOULD NOT PROVE AN UNSURMOUNTABLE DIFFICULTY SINCE THE KOREANS ON THEIR OWN SPEND $20 MILLION PER YR ON EDUC.