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• ELS changes for Korean students

  The Korean government has announced a ban on after-school English education to first and second graders in elementary school (Years 3 and 4 of New Zealand primary school) as well as English classes at kindergarten (Years 1 and 2 of New Zealand primary school).

  The ban for first and second graders will come into effect in March 2018 while the kindergarten ban will take place from 2019.

  Kay Kyungah Lee, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager – South Korea, explains that the ban is to prevent students from studying English before the third grade, where it becomes part of the curriculum in Korea.

  “To get a headstart, many schools offer after-school English courses for first- and second-graders.

  “To equalise the competitive education culture, a law banning advanced learning was adopted in 2014. However, after-school English courses remained intact due to strong demand from parents.”

  Kay said Korean parents have relied on English being taught during early education for many years. However, with the new ban limiting this option in-country, there could be opportunities for New Zealand providers to benefit.

  “This ban is likely to result in an increase in private English education. But when only expensive options are available in Korea, overseas education can be more appealing and have better value for money.

  “English language is still regarded as one of the most important skills in the competitive job market in Korea. The level of interest for an effective English education would be high amongst Korean parents.”

• Kiwi teachers connect with Indonesia

  Sean O’Connor, Educators Network Manager for the Foundation said cultural connection trips give teachers invaluable first-hand experience and knowledge of Asia, which they can in turn share with their students.

  “By actually visiting a country, teachers get a much deeper understanding. We also find students are far more engaged when hearing about their teacher’s personal experiences,” he said.

  During the trip, the teachers visited schools and historical sites throughout Jakarta and Yogyakarta.

  Teacher Ella Hollows from Onerahi School, Whangarei, said the highlight was visiting Al Azhar Islamic schools in Jakarta where she and the other Kiwi teachers home-stayed with local Indonesian families.

  “Not only did we experience the culture and history of Indonesia, we got to meet people from different walks of life and developed our understanding of the importance of Asian languages and culture from an education perspective.

  “As a teacher, it was a great opportunity to be part of a school in another culture and experience the similarities and the differences,” she said.

  Since returning to New Zealand, Ella has been in regular contact with a teacher she met during the visit, and recently held the first of what she hopes will be regular Skype conversations between her class and an Al Azhar class. Students discussed their hobbies and what they like about school, and are beginning to learn about traditional Indonesian and Māori culture.

  Ngaire Gow, a teacher at Brookfield School, Tauranga, said before she left for Indonesia, her students created a slideshow about New Zealand which she shared with teachers in Indonesia. On her return, Ngaire created an Indonesia display for the classroom using her photos and souvenirs, prompting discussion and questions from her students.

  “Trips like this lead us towards being culturally competent and to respect different ways of understanding and knowing, which is extremely important for teachers in New Zealand as a multi-cultural country with students of various cultures in our classrooms,” she said.

  Click here for a short video of what the teachers experienced in Indonesia.

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• Japan Teachers at ENZ AKL office for ELS session