Perceptions of the rationale for the establishment of Christian alternative schools in Korea

Abstract

This study was by nature descriptive and exploratory to investigate the reasons of establishment and continual growth of Christian alternative schools in South Korea. The reasons were examined in two dimensions: administrators and parents. That is, the researcher was to find out the purposes of the schools the administrators present and the reasons the parents cite for enrolling their children in a Christian alternative school.

Chapter 2 reviewed the foundational understandings and beliefs which are derived from the Bible regarding a rationale of establishing a Christian school. It also reviewed empirical research concerning reasons why parents chose a Christian school for the education of their children in the context of United States.

The schools' purposes were explored through semi-structured interviews with the school administrators. The reasons for parents' enrollment of their children in a Christian alternative school were identified by using a questionnaire. The researcher contacted 32 Christian alternative schools in South Korea that provided high school level education and 9 Christian alternative schools among them participated in this research.

Based on the findings of this study, the researcher arrived at three basic conclusions. First, the primary cause for establishing the Christian alternative schools in South Korea is to teach curriculum saturated with a Christian worldview. Second, the foremost reason of the Christian parents' choice of the Christian alternative schools is to provide Christian education for their children. Third, the most conspicuous reasons of the non-Christian parents' choice of the Christian alternative schools are (1) their dissatisfaction with the education of public schools and (2) their expectation both for the various curricula provided by the Christian alternative schools and for social relationships among the constituents in the schools.

In conclusion, the Christian alternative schools in South Korea were established as a Christian alternative not only to the mission schools that could not teach curriculum reflecting a Christian worldview, but also to the public schools which had been blamed both for uniform education geared toward college entrance and broken relationships among the constituents in the schools.