Korean school books to bridge the cultural gap
1 Jun 2012
Posing for the history books: Korean mothers with Jung Rye Choi, attachée from the Korean Embassy in Paris; Jean-Paul Clement, director of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School; Kijung Jung, head of the Korean Domestic Agency; and Bernard Dubreuil, the new Rector of the Aix-Marseille Academy.
ITER, the world's largest international research project, is not only a technical and diplomatic challenge. For the employees from more than 27 countries who—together with their families—have moved to southern France, it is also a cultural experiment. How will their relatives settle in this foreign country? How will their children adopt to a new language, a new school system and, finally, a very different curriculum from what they are used to?
"As we are aware of the challenges of living abroad, we are pleased to hand over some 30 Korean school books that shall enable families to measure their children's scholastic achievements and to catch up with the curricula when they return to their home country one day," Head of the Korean Domestic Agency, Kijung Jung, said during the small handover ceremony that took place at Manosque's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School last week.
More than 200 books had been donated last year and the next donation is already in the planning. At the request of some involved mothers, Kijung Jung is likely to have some books on cultural studies and liberal arts in his suitcase on his next trip to Cadarache.