The Illinois State University Laboratory Schools recently hosted a visit with school administrators from Seoul, South Korea. Seungho Maeng and Keunsoo Kim visited Metcalf School and University High School to gather information regarding how the Lab Schools are administered in collaboration with the College of Education and how they are coherently managed. Maeng is from the Center for the Advancement of Education and Research of Affiliated Schools in Seoul National University (SNU), and Kim is chief of school affairs at the Seoul National University Girls’ Middle School.
Seoul National University, the highest ranked university in South Korea, has four affiliated schools: an elementary school, a boys’ middle school, a girls’ middle school, and a high school. Recently, a plan was developed to reform the affiliated schools toward a laboratory schools model to be administered in collaboration with the College of Education at SNU. The visit to Illinois State University was designed for the South Korea contingent to learn about and discuss good practices within the Laboratory Schools.
Maeng and Kim toured Metcalf and University High School. Each school highlighted the relationship with their College of Education colleagues and described how clinical students were integrated into the daily instruction at both schools.
“As laboratory schools, the connection between two lab schools and college of education made a great impression on me,” Maeng said. “The teacher education program at the lab schools would also become a good exemplar for our rebuilding plan.”
The Illinois State University Laboratory Schools were delighted to host our honored guests and look forward to further correspondence as Seoul National University moves forward with its laboratory schools plan.
