Undesirable Education: The Development of Special Education in Korea

By Jaewon Kim

Have you ever wondered which approach we should take in special education? Is it better to include students with disabilities in the regular curriculum to teach children how to create an inclusive society? Or is it better to develop a curriculum that fits the needs of those who may struggle in the class designed for the able-bodied population? Although this article will not answer this question, it may prompt you to reflect on the current state of special education in the context of its history in Korea. As discussed in the earlier article, “Disability Welfare in Medieval Korea: Chosŏn’s Confucianism and its Perception of Disability,” you may notice that Korean society did not have an educational system designed explicitly for people with disabilities. Rather, they focused on inclusion and non-discriminatory policies that offered equal educational opportunities to those who qualify intellectually. However, this did not mean that every individual with a disability had access to education. Having a strict class system, the education in Chosŏn society was exclusive to the nobility, leaving the majority of the population, as well as those with intellectual disability, to be uneducated. Hence, the true inclusion in the education space did not begin until later.

Then, when did special education begin in Korea? The origin of special education in Korea traces back to the Japanese colonial period. As discussed in the article “The imperialism and disability: The social oppression of disability in colonial Korea,” the Japanese colonial government’s specialized occupation school for the blind is considered the first form of special education in Korea [1]. However, due to its limitations as a school only for the blind and an occupational school, the specialized occupation school primarily functioned as a training center rather than an educational institution. Hence, it was not until the late 1940s, when the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) temporarily governed South Korea from 1945 to 1948, that compulsory education laws were implemented, which included disabled children into the mandatory education system [2]. Although systematized, special education in Korea during the 1950s and 1960s had numerous flaws. First, the lack of public institutions left disabled children to rely on private institutions [3]. Even so, these private special education schools were often inadequate for proper education and sometimes resembled an orphanage more than a school [4]. Furthermore, the education in these institutions was designed for the blind and deaf-mute children, resulting in a lack of education that suits children with various needs. Second, the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 and the spread of polio led to an increase in the disabled population [5]. Consequently, the demand for special education also escalated, overwhelming already incompetent institutions. Third, the implemented compulsory education was limited to the elementary school. Thus, during the 1960s, a number of disabled students were rejected from schools for reasons including “unfitting looks,” “contagious,” and “underperformance of disabled students.” [6] Despite the fact that there were cases where schools accepted disabled students, often these students were admitted under the condition of outperforming non-disabled students [7]. This discrimination not only imposed an additional burden on students who were admitted but also eliminated educational opportunities for students with intellectual disability. 

So, when did the true system for special education take place in Korea? In 1977, the South Korean government completed its eighth constitutional revision that included clauses ensuring people’s right to middle school education and free special education for students with vision, hearing, intellectual, language, physical, and psychological disabilities [8]. Under the new law, students with disabilities had wider options for education, as public schools were required to form special needs classes, which increased educational accessibility and allowed them to choose schools closer to their homes. Furthermore, the schools’ right to deny students with special education was taken away [9]. With this historical step toward equal education opportunity for all and continuous law revisions, by 2017, approximately 512 children, representing 9.8 percent of the elementary school attendance deferment rate, were not attending school due to a disability [10]. Under these circumstances, scholars still emphasize that the enactment of the law does not guarantee the quality of special education, and it is necessary to systematically improve both the quality and accessibility for those who need it.

Although the South Korean government reached a milestone in creating a more welcoming education environment for disabled students, there are still many problems that remain in South Korean society. Due to the persistent negative perception around the disability, the public facilities that accommodate the disabled population are often considered as unpleasant facilities and meet opposition from the neighborhood due to the fear of decreasing property value around them [11]. Thus, the disabled population is blamed for negative phenomena around the community and forced to relocate under the social pressure that discriminates against their existence in society. Taking this into account, it looks like Korea’s special education is not showing advancement in its purpose of special education, which aims to integrate the disabled population into society. Perhaps it is time for regular curricula to include courses that teach acceptance, completing what special education was meant to do.

References

[1], [3] So, Hyŏnsuk (So, Hyun Soog). “Hakkyo ŭi munt’ŏk, ŭimu kyoyuk chedoŭi toip kwa changae a kyoyuk: haebang chikhu~chŏn kubaek yuksip nyŏntaerul chongimero” 학교의 문턱, 의무교육제도의 도입과 장애아교육: 해방직후~1960년대를 중심으로 [School Entry Threshold, the Introduction of a Compulsory Education System, and Education for Children with Disabilities in Contemporary Korea.] Yŏksa munje yŏnguso 역사문제연구소 Vol. 41 (2019): 386.

[2] So, Hyŏnsuk (So, Hyun Soog), 384.

[4] So, Hyŏnsuk (So, Hyun Soog), 386-387.

[5] So, Hyŏnsuk (So, Hyun Soog), 389-393.

[6], [7] So, Hyŏnsuk (So, Hyun Soog), 398-400.

[8], [9] Hong, Chŏngsuk (Hong, Jeong-Suk) and An, Sanggwŏn (An, Sang-Kwon). “T’eksu kyoyuk taesangja ŭimu kyoyuk kwa ch’ihak yuye.myŏnje chedoŭi yŏksajŏk pyŏnch’ŏn mit sisa chŏm” 특수교육대상자 의무교육과 취학유예.면제 제도의 역사적 변천 및 정책적 시사점 [Historical changes and policy implications in compulsory education, schooling deferment, and the exemption system for special education students.] The Journal of Special Education: Theory and Practice 특수교육저널: 이론과 실천 Vol 19, no.4 (2018): 302-304.

[10] Hong, Chŏngsuk (Hong, Jeong-Suk) and An, Sanggwŏn (An, Sang-Kwon), 313.

[11] So, Hyŏnsuk (So, Hyun Soog), 379-380.