South Korea vs.

South AfricaTeenage Culture Differences

VS.

School Life in South Africa

School Life in South Africa

• Most schools have both boys and girls together.

• A student usually only attends 3 schools:Pre-School (= kindergarten)Primary School (Grade 1 – 7)High School (Grade 8 – 12)

• School hours: 8am – 2:30pm• After school sports: 3pm – 4:30pm

School Life in South Africa

• Sports games are played between schools on the weekends.

• Students do not attend academy.• Students are encouraged to do well in all

aspects of their lives – school work, sports, cultural activities, socialisation etc.

School Life in South Africa• In Grade 12, the students have a big party

called the “Matric Dance”. Couples attend the dance together & girls spend a lot of money on their outfits.

Usually each dance has a “theme”:

School Life in South Africa

• After Grade 12, students often go to university or take a “gap year”.

• A gap year is a year with no studying. Usually teenagers will use this time to travel or get a job.

• After a gap year, teenagers often (but not always) go to university.

School Life in South Korea

School Life in South Korea

• School life is very demanding & stressful. • Students must get good grades at all times!• Students often go to academy after school.

Students study for 16 hours a day.• School hours: 8:30am – 4:30pm + academy +

homework.• Sports are played within school hours.• Many schools are boys-only or girls-only.

Hobbies in South Africa

• Teenagers have many hobbies & schools offer many sports or activities.

• E.g. swimming, soccer, rugby, hockey, netball, cricket, photography, debating, choir, squash, water polo, running, rock climbing, softball, music.

• There are NO PC rooms in South Africa!

Hobbies in South Korea• Students do not have much free time so their

hobbies are usually indoors.• E.g. Computer games, smart phone games, watching

TV, reading, studying, playing sports, playing a musical instrument.

Dating in South Africa

• Some teenagers start dating when they start high school (i.e. grade 8 = age 12). Usually they are school friends.

• It is OK to hold hands, visit each others houses, watch movies together. When older, it is ok to kiss!

• Teenagers celebrate their anniversary by the number of months they have been dating.

• Couples do not wear couple rings or clothes.

Dating in South Korea

• Students study first and date later.• Couples wear couple clothes or couple rings.• Couples celebrate their anniversary of 100

days.• Couples should not kiss.• Often couples meet through “blind dates”.

Worries & Stress for South African Teenagers

• Drugs & alcohol• Bullying & violence (in school and out of school)• Rape• Unplanned pregnancies & sex• Cultural differences within schools (e.g. black vs.

white vs. Indian.)• Grades• Appearance & fashion • Poverty

Worries & Stress for South Korean Teenagers

• Grades, grades, grades!• Appearance & fashion.• Plastic surgery.• Suicide.• Relationships with girlfriend or boyfriend. • Must get into a good university to get a good

job.

Military Service

• South Africans do not have to go to the army if they don’t want to.

• Male South Koreans MUST go to the military for 2 years.

• ..\..\..\..\..\Downloads\South Korean Air Force parody Les Miserables.flv

Idols• Teenagers in both countries idolize

famous actors, actresses and sportsmen.