Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...

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universities. State and institutions are introducing reforms in their capacity to meet the
international standards, to compete in the international market and ultimately to bring socio-
economic development.
South Korea
In South Korea educational reform became part of a broad system of efforts to build an
institutional basis for reforms in 1980s, the Presidential Commission for Education Reform
was constituted in 1985 and later on it was renamed the Presidential Advisory Committee on
Education Policy (IAU 2011). As a result of 1980s‟ reforms participation rate at all levels
increased and education institutions grew at a spectacular rate. The Commission on Education
proposed many reforms in education sector at all levels that were introduced and implemented
during 1990s. These reforms focused restructuring the educational system, enhancing
accessibility, promoting science and research, and supporting use of new information and
communication technologies in education. At secondary school level ranking system based on
students‟ quality has been abolished in public and private sectors.
In order to implement the reforms effectively different laws were carved or amended: “the Social
Education Law was reformulated into the Lifelong Education Law in 1999, and the Law for
Promotion of Vocational Education and Training and the Basic Qualification Law were enacted.
In order to facilitate identifying gifted children who will play a vital role in national
development, the Law for Promoting Education of the Gifted was promulgated in 2000.
The Fundamental Law of Human Resource Development was enacted on August 2002” (IAU
2011). These legal steps helped to align education system with the socio-economic development.
The major objective, behind these initiatives, was to transform the mass manufacturing system
and the labor-intensive industrial structure of the past into one based on knowledge and
technology, and that is responsive to the changing societal needs. These reforms resulted in a
flexible, modern, autonomous and student centered system education where equity, diversity,
quality, innovation, and transparency.
Recent reforms in Korea focused on the restructuring and competition through economic
incentives, learner centered financing of educational institutions, linking higher education
institutions with the labor market through information, strengthening the relations, networking of
educational institutions and employers, internationalization of professional programs, enhanced