Lessons for Latin America from Comparative Education: South Korea’s Teacher Policy

In many Asian countries, such as South Korea, teaching is considered a very high-status profession. A teacher in South Korea must meet a minimum qualification, either by graduating from education university, or by completing teacher-training courses in college. Graduates who are awarded a teaching certificate must then pass a very competitive national exam before being allowed to teach in public educational institutions. Clear evidence from South Korea demonstrates that teacher quality impacts the quality of student education. This paper aims to draw lessons from South Koreas experiences, with a focus on the teacher policy context, that can be applied to the educational environment in Latin America.