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… vocational interests , and a stronger knowledge of career options .
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Most people involved with TY will recognise these ideas . This is not as coincidental as it might first appear !
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The conception and design of the FLS was directly influenced by Ireland ’ s experience of TY , as well as some similar initiatives in the Danish system and British research on gap years among young adults ( Lee , 2013 ). In fact , the President of the Korean Educational Research Association , Kim Myung-soo , has described Transition Year as being “ the role model for the Free Learning Semester ” ( Korea Herald , 13th February 2014 ).
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Nonetheless , there are some structural differences between the Irish and Korean programmes that are worth noting . For example , the FLS is targeted to students who are younger than those who take part in TY ( 13-year-olds , rather than 15-year-olds ). Another difference is that the FLS takes place over one semester only , rather than a full school year .
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Early reports suggest that the FLS is being positively received by students and teachers in these initial years . For example , teachers report seeing increased confidence , enjoyment , and engagement at school among students as a result of the less restrictive environment ( Korea Herald , 13th February 2014 ; Korea Times , 9th December 2014 ).
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Again , such reports may seem familiar to teachers or parents of ( at least some ) Transition Year students .
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Challenges to FLS
However , a debate about the merit of the FLS is ongoing . The Korean Federation of Teachers ’
Associations has expressed reservations about giving students a free semester at school . Their concern is that the FLS will lead to declining academic standards in Korean schools , potentially to the extent that it could “ collapse the foundation of our school system ” ( Korea Bizwire , 21st April 2015 ).
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These concerns appear to be widespread , and have been expressed by “ both the progressive and conservative teachers ’ unions ” ( Korea Times , 9th December 2014 ). These are particular challenges for the FLS , which may be seen as distracting from academic tasks in a highly results-orientated educational culture .
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It seems likely that the continued provision of the FLS will be vulnerable to political circumstances ( a concern voiced by one school principal interviewed by the Korea Times , 9th December 2014 ) without the active engagement of key stakeholders , including teachers , parents , and the students themselves .
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The united opposition presented by the Korean teachers ’ unions demonstrates the challenges inherent in introducing reforms such as FLS – perhaps not surprising when such reforms can be perceived as re-defining , or re-balancing , the values and priorities of an education system ( even if only for a short period in students ’ educational careers ).
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Some teachers in Ireland reported similar sentiments in the early days of Transition Year ( Egan & O ’ Reilly , 1979 ), and reservations or concerns about TY are still sometimes expressed by parents ( Jeffers , 2007 ) or in the media . However , Irish teachers are generally strong supporters of the intentions behind TY , which has played a large role in its survival and expansion over the decades .
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If the FLS is to bed into the Korean system in a sustainable way , the concerns of teachers and parents will need to be addressed .
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Creating awareness of the rationale behind the FLS and enhancing teachers ’ motivation to engage with the programme constructively will be important , as will the provision of appropriate professional development aimed at supporting their capacity to teach students in non-traditional ways during the FLS ( which presents different instructional and classroom management challenges for teachers ).
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Lewis and McMahon ( 1996 ) have provided a clear description of the model of professional development that was used effectively in Ireland during the mainstreaming of TY in the early 1990s , which could be replicated or adapted in Korea . This model relied heavily on the experience of ‘ early adopters ’ – teachers with prior experience of setting up and running TY programmes in their own schools when it was less common – to disseminate their acquired knowledge to colleagues .
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Observing the Korean experience
While the Korean system has taken some inspiration from Ireland ’ s TY programme , it is also worth asking whether there are lessons that can come back to Ireland from observing the implementation and development of the FLS over the coming years . In considering these differences , we can critically examine and reappraise our assumptions about TY and the way in which it is implemented in Ireland .
TY UPDATE SUMMER 2018