Here’s a fascinating story I came across while scrolling on Facebook, and I thought I’d share it with you. The story describes an innovative approach used by elementary school officials in a South Korean village when they were faced with the problem of declining enrollment.
Daegu Elementary School, a rural school in South Korea, was struggling with a significant decline in student enrollment because of a falling birth rate. To respond to this problem, school officials have created an innovative solution. They have enrolled elderly grandmothers who had always dreamed of learning to read and write but never had the opportunity into their first grade classroom. The unique strategy has revitalized the school while at the same time offering the opportunity of a lifetime to the lives of these elderly women.
One of the grandmothers is Hwang Wol-geum, who is 70 years old. She now rides the school bus every day—not only to accompany her grandchildren to school, but also as a first-grade student herself. When she was a child, Mrs. Hwang was not able to attend school because she needed at home to help out with household chores. All her life, Mrs. Hwang longed to learn how to read and write. Now, as one of eight women between the ages of 56 and 80, she is attending classes with first grade children. There the grandmothers learn the Korean alphabet (Hangul), practice their writing skills, and participate in group activities such as dancing during recess.
This innovative program not only helps the school stay open, but it also empowers elderly women by teaching them literacy skills, boosting their confidence, and giving them a new sense of purpose in their later years. I’m sure the cross-generational exposure is great for the kids, too!
Source: Unknown Facts, a Facebook page dedicated to educational and knowledgeable topics on the internet.
