@article{ART002804569},
author={Kihoon Lee},
title={Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period},
journal={The Review of Korean History},
issn={1225-133X},
year={2021},
number={144},
pages={261-302}
TY - JOUR
AU - Kihoon Lee
TI - Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period
JO - The Review of Korean History
PY - 2021
VL - null
IS - 144
PB - The Historical Society Of Korea
SP - 261
EP - 302
SN - 1225-133X
AB - During the colonial years in Joseon, with agriculture being the most basic activity among the people, natural disasters had a large impact on school education. While flood related disasters affected limited areas, the impact of disasters caused by droughts was far-reaching. It even affected children and their school education nation wide. It’s impact peaked in the 1920s, when the enrollment rate of boys was recorded around 7-20%. But in the 1930s, elementary school education became an integral part of life. And despite repeated natural disasters over the years, numbers of school enrollment increased, while that of drop-outs and days of missed schools declined, indicating elementary education was further expanded and became more essential in life. Despite the great drought of 1939, school education continued to expand. This could be in part due to the Japanese Government General of Korea’s plan to make effective use of the human resources of Joseon. But it is also true that the people of Joseon yearned for more education. Education and learning thrived, not because natural disasters subsided, but because for most people, primary education became essential for survival.
However, more education did not resolve the hardships of living. To the contrary, education became a burden to the households: an issue demonstrated by the increases in asset seizures from not being able to pay for the school tuition of children. Graduating from a primary school did not guarantee any benefits, but was considered essential, and thus put a heavy burden on the farmers. Children from poor farming families often missed schools, because their tuition was not paid. Increase of school absence rates in 1938∼1939, when natural disasters and conscription to war coincided, clearly illustrates this fact.
KW - natural disasters;school;enrollment rate;drop-out rate;absence rate;mandatory education
DO -
UR -
ER -
Kihoon Lee. (2021). Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period. The Review of Korean History, 144, 261-302.
Kihoon Lee. 2021, "Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period", The Review of Korean History, no.144, pp.261-302.
Kihoon Lee "Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period" The Review of Korean History 144 pp.261-302 (2021) : 261.
Kihoon Lee. Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period. 2021; 144 : 261-302.
Kihoon Lee. "Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period" The Review of Korean History no.144(2021) : 261-302.
Kihoon Lee. Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period. The Review of Korean History, 144, 261-302.
Kihoon Lee. Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period. The Review of Korean History. 2021; 144 261-302.
Kihoon Lee. Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period. 2021; 144 : 261-302.
Kihoon Lee. "Education during disasters–Natural disasters and school enrollment during the Colonial Period" The Review of Korean History no.144(2021) : 261-302.