Seodang

Background

They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7 to 16 years of age, but often served students into their twenties. Not regulated in any fashion, ko could be freely opened and closed by anyone who wished to. Widespread during the Goryeo period, these flourished during Joseon times and were the dynasty's most common educational institution. It has been estimated that 16,000 existed at the end of the Joseon period.

The teacher or headmaster of the ko was called the ko. The ko were divided into various kinds depending on the ko's motivation and relation to the community:

• Hunjang jayeong seodang (): ko established by the ko, as a hobby or to make a living.
• Yuji dogyeong seodang (): ko established by a wealthy member of the community, who hires the ko.
• Yuji johap seodang (): ko established by an organization of wealthy locals.
• Chonjohap seodang (): ko established by an entire village together.

The course of study typically began with the Thousand Character Classic, and proceeded to independent reading of the Three Books and Five Classics. The teaching method emphasized rote learning by reading and memorizing an assigned passage each day; after reading the passage more than 100 times over, students would recite it to the ko.

Historical change

The nature of the ko changed in the course of the Joseon period. While early in the dynasty they were purely private academies, they increasingly became village institutions. New social institutions such as the gye cooperatives, which emerged in the 19th century, often centered on the village ko, as did the older hyangyak village codes.

In the 20th century, many ko were modernized and known as "improved ko" (), and eventually accredited as primary schools during Colonial Korea. This was part of a dramatic expansion of private education in this period; from 1883 to 1908, some 5,000 private schools were established in Korea. Beginning in 1918, regulations on private education became much more stringent and repressive; the number of ko dropped sharply. Many of the ko that did survive became low-level technical academies, or ganihakgyo ().

Today, seodang still operate as private academies under the name of Seodang. Their purpose is to teach Chinese character skills from beginner to intermediate and advanced levels.

Notes

References

References

1. Park et al. (2002), p. 73;
2. Park et al. (2002), p. 72
3. "Seodang". National Folk Museum.
4. Park et al. (2002), p. 74.
5. Lee (1984), p. 368.
6. Park et al. (2002), p. 105.
7. "개량서당".
8. "서당(書堂) Seodang".