OECD

Box 5. Han-Mi Kindergarten in Il-San

- Private Reggio Emilia Kindergarten

The Han-Mi Kindergarten demonstrates that a private kindergarten can reach high quality levels, if it is well-derected and has a sound pedagogical vision for children. The centre caters for 275 children aged between 3 and 5 years, in a suburban setting outside Seoul. The families are from middle and lower-middle income bands. Parents fund the programme entirely through fees, as no government subsidy is available for a private kindergarten.

A feature of this centre is that it applies the Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach. The goal is not to adopt a foreign programme - the centre follows the National Curriculum - but to follow the Reggio Emilia principles of constructive education, staff reflection and documentation to provide a programme of high quality. In sum, children are considered to best construct their knowledge in voluntary groups supported by trained adults; staff work in teams and continually reflect together about what they do and why; and the work of children and the centre is continually documented, with a strong emphasis on the production of children. Documentation indicates not just what happened and what was done but focuses on the value and meaning of this work to the children. "We are showing a philosophy", the staff informed us, "of making children visible, not just keeping records of what happened." In this way, the centre has been able to move beyond a dominant paradigm in Korean centres, expressed as "giving recipe type lessons to passive children based on set topics."

A visit to the classroom found children absorbed in activities, with a high level of social and language interaction. Children were free to form small groups which would decide their centre of interest, seek teacher direction and support, or spend time alone in thought or deep concentration on a personal task. Although a Reggio Emilia style programme, the team noticed in the classrooms more Korean artefacts and culture than in many other centres. As well as the customary Reggio Emilia artistic and communication equipment, the environment was rich in natural materials that were available for selection by the children. In the classrooms, laughter and physical movement were evident, and regarded as natural activities of childhood.

Recognising that parents want the best for their children, staff emphasise parent participation and continually explain to parents what is being attemted and why. Monthly parent meetings are held in all calsses to show specifically the educational value of the work in progress and to illustrate the children's ways of thinking. This has paid of handsomely in th past few years with parents becoming convinced of the benefits of a constructivist approach to learning. In a country focused on academid achievement, this has been no small achievement.

The teachers of this centre have become a real resource for the district. They organise mini-conferences for other teachers, showing how they develop programmes in this kindergarten. A collaborative of 65 teachers now take part and visit each other's centres. It is acknowledged that the children in this centre have transformed themselves from passive observers to active participants in their own learning. The director commneted: "It takes two months to change children's attitudes from passive observer to active participant, and two years to change the teacher's." With funding from the state, it is clear that such a entre could become an important in-service traning centre for the district.

The kindergarten has a home page and waiting lists exist for places both in the school and on staff. The majority of staff (16/22) have four-year university qualifications. The school engages teachers trained in science/computing as well as gymastics specialist staff. Although ambivalent at the beginning, parents are now confident that the Reggio Emilia approach can help their children to fit into school later. They want their chldren to be active and creative, and yet get high scors in math and reading. The Director asserts the nearby elemantary school is adapting to the kindergarten grogramme. Teachers are pleased that children have learned to taaake initiative, and have lots of questions and ideas. In the past, this was viewed as problem but bow is seen to be an asset.