Busan-based Daemyung Academy is not a run-of-the-mill hagwon. It is a place that was designed to help students learn to teach themselves and to think out of the box, said Jeong Dong-sun, head of the academy.

At the same time, Daemyung teaches critical life lessons on values such as integrity, responsibility and teamwork, she said.

“For a long time, I have believed that education is not about cramming knowledge into students’ heads, but based on cultivating a proactive attitude and a sound mind,” Jeong said. 

This is why at Daemyung, the curriculum consists entirely of debates and presentations. Students are also given time to discuss good deeds they have done, and to encourage each other to pass it along to others. Awards are given not only to academically outstanding students, but also those who have shown promise in other areas as well, such as being a good listener or a good friend.

This is the kind of education that Jeong believes will help students create a better future for themselves.

“Daemyung seeks to groom the kind of students ― mature and creative individuals ― that the next generation needs, and during the process, our students have been accepted at the world’s top schools,” she said.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)