Unaccredited International Schools Gain Attention in Celebrity YouTube Content
Aversion to Standardized Private Education... Small Class Sizes Also an Advantage
Recently, as celebrities have been sharing content related to their children's education on platforms such as YouTube, there has been growing interest in unaccredited international schools.
On April 24, singer Baek Jiyoung released a video on her YouTube channel titled "How Children of CEOs with 10 Billion KRW Annual Sales Get into Prestigious Universities (Portfolio Preparation, Private and Public Education)." In this video, Baek discussed children's education with Nagi Jung, CEO of the wine bar Tap Shop Bar, and Yoon Soyoung, CEO of the children's clothing brand Peekaboo, among others.
Baek's 9-year-old daughter, along with the other participants' children, all attend the Grace International Academy (GIA) Micro School, a Christian-based unaccredited international school located in Nonhyeon-dong. The annual tuition at this school reaches 30 million KRW.
In addition to Baek, it is known that couples such as actors Lee Byunghun and Lee Minjung, The Born Korea CEO Baek Jongwon and actress So Yoojin, actors Ji Sung and Lee Boyoung, and model Jang Yoonju also send their children to unaccredited international schools such as GIA or British Education Korea (BEK).
These unaccredited international schools are more akin to private academies that have not received approval from the Ministry of Education. Unlike accredited international schools, only foreign academic credentials are recognized upon graduation, so students must either transfer to schools abroad or pass the Korean qualification exam.
Nevertheless, these parents are reportedly choosing unaccredited international schools for their children due to their aversion to the standardized curriculum of the existing public and private education systems.
In the video, Baek stated, "Daechi-dong is scary. I don't know if talking about this will get me in trouble, but the sequence and pace of the curriculum set by this country?8 years old for grade 2, 9 years old for grade 3, 10 years old for grade 4?are supposedly aligned with children's brain development. The people who wrote the textbooks must be very impressive. But I choose not to follow that path."
Unaccredited international schools typically operate with small class sizes of about 10 to 15 students, allowing for intensive management and personalized education for each student. The geographic advantage of Gangnam, where many unaccredited international schools such as GIS Gangnam International School, Vivian & Stanley Gangnam International School (VSGIS), and BCC (BC Collegiate) are concentrated, is also a factor.
Baek said, "I liked that the school is just a one-minute walk from home and that there are only 12 students per class, allowing for small-group management."
The student-centered teaching methods and curricula that emphasize creativity, presentation skills, and discussion abilities are also considered advantages. Actress Han Gain also recently said in a YouTube video, "My daughter enjoys presenting and participating, so I enrolled her in an international school."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
