American Schools vs. Korean Schools

Korean School (Actually my school!)

Hello! My name is Jisue Kang. I am in the 3rd class of 6th grade. Today I am going to talk about the differences between American schools and Korean schools. These are from my experiences of living in the United States.


There are many things that are different in each school. I will start with the classrooms. The big chalkboard in America is in a fixed position. On the other hand, in Korea, you can move the chalkboard up and down. Also, in America, the chair and desk height levels cannot be changed, unlike in Korea where they can be adjusted.

Next, I would like to talk about the restrooms in each school. In America, there are tissues in every stall. But in Korea, you have to use you own tissues. Plus, in Korea, not all of the restrooms have warm water and the lighting isn't that good. But in America, you can use warm water and there are bright lights. Overall, I think that American restrooms are better.

There are other differences that I haven't mentioned either. Such as in America, some students ride school buses, but in Korea most students walk to school. Also, In America lots of students pack lunch unlike in Korea where almost all students eat the lunch that the school gives you. Plus, in America, you would wear the same shoes you wore outside in school, but in Korea, you need to change your shoes when you come into the school.

American School (My former school!)

Anyway, let’s not only look at the hardware, let’s look at the software. I am talking about things such as how teachers teach students. In Korea, teachers are able to physically punish students, but in America you can't. Also, In America, teachers usually use chalkboards, overheads, or occasionally smart boards. In Korea, teachers use TVs and computers to teach as well as chalkboards.

Another difference I noticed is tests. In America, the subject of the test changed every grade, and the tests were very long. We took them twice a year. But in Korea, you take 2 tests every semester. It’s like midterms and finals, but they are very short. Plus on the finals you have to take subjects such as music, art, physical education.

So today I talked about the differences between American schools and Korean schools. Things such as how in Korea, you take breaks between classes, but in America, you take one long break at lunch.

Thank you for listening!