South Korean students are globally recognized for their intense academic zeal, frequently ranking at the top in international assessments like PISA. However, this academic success often comes at a steep price: shockingly low levels of subjective happiness and high amounts of stress.
As the educational system searches for a solution, a feature published by DTNews24 highlights a promising alternative: mind-subtraction meditation. Recently, an academic conference hosted by the Academic Society for Human Completion explored how this happiness meditation is reshaping the Free Semester System in middle schools.
Here is a closer look at the event and the incredible findings presented.
๐ซ A Packed House Seeking True Education
The fall academic conference, themed โFree Semester System and Happiness Education: Finding Dreams and Hopes through Meditation,โ was sponsored by the Ministry of Education and held at the KAIST KI Building in Daejeon.
The response was overwhelming. About 200 educators, field officials, and parents from across the country flooded the venue, quickly exceeding the 96-seat capacity and spilling over into an adjacent lecture room.
Kwak Byong-sun, the former President of the Korean Educational Development Institute and the first proposer of the Free Semester System, attended the event. He highly praised the Academic Society for Human Completionโa unique organization where scholars, university professors, and frontline teachers collaborateโand positively evaluated the introduction of meditation education into the school system.
๐ก The Key to the 4th Industrial Revolution
During her keynote speech, Professor Shin Na-min of Dongguk Universityโs Department of Education delivered a clear message to the attendees:
“Human Completion education is the only answer to raising our current students into the leading figures of the 4th Industrial Revolution era,” she emphasized, noting that meditation is an essential method to achieve this.
โจ Real Synergy in the Classroom
The most resonant part of the conference was the presentation of real-world applications. Shim Sook-hee, a specialized counselor at Sacheon Middle School, shared how mind-subtraction meditation acted as a turning point for her students.
Not only did the meditation bring a synergy effect to external activities like reading, math, English, soccer, and broadcast dance, but when applied to the “Wee Class” (an integrated student stability system), it yielded five massive transformations:
- Breaking away from bad past experiences
- Improving concentration in class
- Reducing the burden of grades (which naturally led to higher academic performance)
- Enhancing creativity
- Discovering a new, confident self
๐ Scientific Proof of Character Growth
Professor Yoo Yang-kyung of Kunsan National University further backed these claims by presenting her research paper on the effects of the program at Daesan Middle School. Her study scientifically confirmed that the students who participated in the mind-subtraction meditation course saw marked improvements in their self-esteem, consideration, social responsibility, self-regulation, honesty, courage, and overall class concentration.
Following the conference, passionate discussions filled the Q&A sessions. Many education officials expressed a strong desire to receive the meditation training themselves, and more than seven schools confirmed their intention to introduce it as a Free Semester System program the following year.
As President Lee Deok-ju noted, the event confirmed a powerful consensus: it is time to move beyond words and actively apply Human Completion education in the classroom to bring true happiness back to students.
Are you interested in bringing the benefits of mind-subtraction meditation to your own life or community? Call Santa Clara Meditation at 408-615-0435 to learn more about our programs and start your journey toward true happiness.
๐ฐ About the Article
- Publication: DTNews24
- Article Title: Low Happiness Behind the Highest Academic Zeal, ‘Meditation Education’ is the Alternative
- Published: November 28, 2016
- Reporter: Lee Hee-taek
