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Out-of School Classes Provide Edge

When American policymakers measure the performance of their schools on the global scale, few nations inspire as much curiosity and admiration as South Korea, a country regarded as something of a math and science juggernaut.

Yet observers say the East Asian country’s prowess, as demonstrated on international tests, is rooted in a number of distinctive educational and cultural characteristics, some unconnected to what occurs in public school classrooms.

In addition to having a national curriculum and what appears to be a talented, motivated corps of teachers, South Korea is home to an enormous network of private tutoring and out-of-school academic services, which...