Young children ride on the back of horses at Jangjon Elementary School in Jeju as part of their school entrance ceremony.

This is one of many scenes visible at the entrance ceremony for new students on the first day of school. These ceremonies can be very meaningful events in many people’s lives and often remain as fond memories for a long time.

They have changed much over time in Korea, in line with the transformation of social norms. If they were more traditional and emphasized formalities in the past, the ceremonies are now more of a celebration of new starts and more accommodating of participants.

Young children on horseback at Jangjon Elementary School in Jeju on March 4 as part of their school entrance ceremony (photo: Yonhap News).

Young children on horseback at Jangjon Elementary School in Jeju on March 4 as part of their school entrance ceremony (photo: Yonhap News).


The ceremonies on the first day of school can be an overwhelming experience for many, especially young children who are entering school for the first time.

In a photograph from 1978 provided by the National Archives of Korea, first-graders are lined up en masse in rows on the ground of Maedong Elementary School in Jongno District, Seoul, for a morning assembly.

At that time, schools in Korea were overcrowded with students. A class at the elementary, middle, and high school levels often consisted of more than 50 students.

The ceremonies were as simple as there were many students. Following the morning assembly with a long serious speech, students headed to their classrooms.

First-graders line up en masse in rows on the grounds of Maedong Elementary School in Jongno District, Seoul, for a morning assembly, in 1978 (photo courtesy of National Archives of Korea).

First-graders line up en masse in rows on the grounds of Maedong Elementary School in Jongno District, Seoul, for a morning assembly, in 1978 (photo courtesy of National Archives of Korea).


Now the ceremonies have become more fun and friendly, easing young pupils’ tensions and anxieties from separating from their mothers and ending up in a strange place.

Ilwol Elementary School in Suwon invited a theater company to tell stories of good and evil and teach children how to react when they meet a stranger on their way home.

At Solgae Elementary School in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province), teachers wearing jeans and T-shirts escorted children wearing capes and berets to an auditorium whose gate was decorated with pink balloons. They were treated with rice cakes while teachers wearing animation character costumes danced in front of them.

“I was nervous in the beginning but it now feels like home and it is also fun,” said an eight-year-old girl named Yejin in an interview with an Internet daily.
New pupils at Gosil Elementary School in Gwangsan District, Gwangju send up balloons containing their wishes at the entrance ceremony on March 4 (photo: Yonhap News).

New pupils at Gosil Elementary School in Gwangsan District, Gwangju send up balloons containing their wishes at the entrance ceremony on March 4 (photo: Yonhap News).


“I wish I brought a camera,” said a parent, “If I knew it were such a cute party, I would have brought a camcorder.”

However, not all schools are in the mood for celebration. Some schools had no new pupils at all due to low fertility rates in the country and more families leaving rural towns to settle in big cities. The situation with Jeongok Elementary School’s Jeok-dong branch was marginally better with one new student.

Entrance ceremonies at middle and high schools are changing as well to accommodate the needs of students and their parents. Sangil Girls High School and Sangmu High School, both in Gwangju, had ceremonies in the evening instead of morning to help many parents attend the event.

Entrance ceremonies at universities are more eventful as well. Freshmen in Dongshin University in Naju, Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province), sent up balloons carrying notes on which they wrote their wishes. Chongshin University, a Christian theology school in southern Seoul, started the morning with worship, followed by an entrance ceremony.

New cadets line up on the military training ground of the Korea Military Academy in Nowon District, northern Seoul, on February 22, after finishing five weeks of basic training (photo: Yonhap News).

New cadets line up on the military training ground of the Korea Military Academy in Nowon District, northern Seoul, on February 22, after finishing five weeks of basic training (photo: Yonhap News).


The ceremony at Korea Military Academy is still the most dignified and grand. The expressions of the cadets entering the academy show their determination and courage.

The prestigious Seoul National University invited Lee Soo-man, the founding chairman of SM Entertainment which has an array of artists and groups such as Girls’ Generation and SHINee, to give a speech at the school. The famous singer-turned-entertainment mogul is an alumnus of the school.

“If you focus on what you are interested in, you will develop passion,” said Lee. “Such passion produces endeavor and genius. I believe a genius is not born but is made with effort. Those with passion will come across a chance for success.

“Most successful and valuable life comes when you enjoy the work you have chosen because you liked it,” he said.

 

[Source: Korea.net]