() were private village schools providing
elementary education
Primary education is the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle schools, de ...
during the
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
and
Joseon
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
dynasties of Korea.
Background
They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7 to 16 years of age, but often served students into their twenties. Not regulated in any fashion, could be freely opened and closed by anyone who wished to.
[Park et al. (2002), p. 72] Widespread during the Goryeo period, these flourished during Joseon times and were the dynasty's most common educational institution. It has been estimated that 16,000 existed at the end of the Joseon period.
The teacher or headmaster of the was called the . The were divided into various kinds depending on the 's motivation and relation to the community:
*''Hunjang jayeong seodang'' (): established by the , as a hobby or to make a living.
*''Yuji dogyeong seodang'' (): established by a wealthy member of the community, who hires the .
*''Yuji johap seodang'' (): established by an organization of wealthy locals.
*''Chonjohap seodang'' (): established by an entire village together.
The course of study typically began with the
Thousand Character Classic
The ''Thousand Character Classic'' (), also known as the ''Thousand Character Text'', is a Chinese poem that has been used as a primer for teaching Chinese characters to children from the sixth century onward. It contains exactly one thousand c ...
, and proceeded to independent reading of the Three Books and
Five Classics
The Four Books and Five Classics are authoritative and important books associated with Confucianism, written before 300 BC. They are traditionally believed to have been either written, edited or commented by Confucius or one of his disciples. S ...
. The teaching method emphasized rote learning by reading and memorizing an assigned passage each day; after reading the passage more than 100 times over, students would recite it to the .
Historical change
The nature of the changed in the course of the Joseon period. While early in the dynasty they were purely private academies, they increasingly became village institutions. New social institutions such as the ''gye'' cooperatives, which emerged in the 19th century, often centered on the village , as did the older ''
hyangyak
The ''hyangyak'' () was a contractual arrangement that allowed for a degree of local government in the history of Korea and Vietnam.
In Korea
During the rule of Jungjong (1506–1544), the contract was enforced by the local level officials. ...
'' village codes.
In the 20th century, many were modernized and known as "improved " (), and eventually accredited as primary schools during
Colonial Korea. This was part of a dramatic expansion of private education in this period; from 1883 to 1908, some 5,000 private schools were established in Korea. Beginning in 1918, regulations on private education became much more stringent and repressive; the number of dropped sharply. Many of the that did survive became low-level technical academies, or ''ganihakgyo'' ().
Today, seodang still operate as private academies under the name of Seodang. Their purpose is to teach Chinese character skills from beginner to intermediate and advanced levels.
See also
*
Education in the Joseon Dynasty
Education in the Joseon dynasty of Korea was largely aimed at preparing students for government service. The ultimate goal of most students was successful passage of the state examinations, known as ''gwageo''.
Educational institutions were extr ...
*
Korean Confucianism
Korean Confucianism, or Korean Ruism, is the form of Confucianism that emerged and developed in Korea. One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural influe ...
*
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
Notes
References
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*
External links
Empas entry on the ''gaeryang seodang''Self-introduction by an operating seodang in YangpyeongKorean Seodang Educational Association (in Korean){{Korean architectural elements
Education in Goryeo
Education in Joseon
Schools in Korea under Japanese rule