I recently asked Hahn Yong Jin, professor of education at Korea University, about the history of the high student-teacher ratio in South Korea.
“The student-teacher ratio in South Korea used to be about 100:1 in the 1960s and 1970s,” explained Professor Hahn. “After the Korean war ended in 1953, we experienced a baby boom. School attendance rates rose dramatically and led to a shortage of teachers and school buildings. However, the high student-teacher ratio didn’t present much of a problem during that era because students were very eager to learn and elevate their social status.”