APTE, Pebbles In The Pond

Newsletter issue 01 : Teachers' Day Around the APTE 뉴스레터 1호: 아시아의 스승의 날

  5 월 15 일은 한국의 스승의 날입니다 . 학생들을 위해 헌신해주신 선생님들께 감사의 마음을 전하는 날이죠 ! 제가 학교에 다닐 때도 오히려 선생님들보다 저희가 더 들떠서 이 날을 준비했던 기억이 납니다 . 담임선생님뿐만 아니라 좋아하는 선생님들을 찾아가 손편지와 카네이션을 전하곤 했지요 . 중학교 2 학년 땐 모든 과목 선생님을 다 좋아해서 11 통의 편지를 썼던 기억도 아직 생생합니다 . 우리나라에서 스승의 날이 5 월 15 일인 이유는 애민정신으로 한글을 창제하고 과학을 장려한 ‘ 겨레의 스승 ’ 세종대왕의 탄신일이기 때문입니다 . 1965 년부터 시작된 이 기념일도 어느덧 60 년의 역사를 지닌 뜻깊은 날이 되었네요 . 최근 국내에 초청된 기참가 교사들과 이야기를 나누던 중 , 말레이시아에서는 5 월 16 일이 스승의 날이라는 흥미로운 사실을 들었습니다 . 문득 ‘ 다른 나라들은 스승의 날을 어떻게 기념할까 ?’ 하는 궁금증이 생겼고 그렇게 APTE 뉴스레터 첫 번째 호의 주제를 “ 각국의 스승의 날 ” 로 정하게 되었습니다 . 이번 뉴스레터에서는 현재 순천효산고에서 초청교사로 활동 중인 Mark Balolo 선생님 ( 필리핀 ) 과 , 2023 년 초청교사로 한국을 찾았고 지금은 한국 파견 교원의 협력교사로 함께하는 Rusydi Ruslan 선생님 ( 말레이시아 ) 께 두 나라의 스승의 날에 대한 추억을 나누어 달라고 부탁드렸습니다 . 말레이시아의 스승의 날은 5 월 16 일 , 필리핀은 세계 교사의 날인 10 월 5 일을 기념한다고 합니다 . 말레이시아와 필리핀의 스승의 날은 어떤 모습일까요 ?  "교실에서 챔피언까지: 잊지못할 스승의 날" 2024 말레이시아 초청 교사 Azlan Syazani   말레이시아에서는 매년 5월 16일 을 스승의 날로 기념합니다. 이 날은 1956년 발표된 ‘라작 보고서(Razak Report)’를 기념하는 날로, 말레이시아 국가 교육 시스템의 기...

 [ Weaving Tradition into Climate Action: A Collaborative Project Between an Indonesian Teacher and Gangjin High School] I am Kaktus Takeama Sogen,  a teacher from Indonesia. I’d like to share a special project I conducted with students at Gangjin High School in  Korea— a project that blends traditional wisdom with climate action. 🌊 A Personal Encounter with Climate Change I was born and raised on Solor Island, in eastern Indonesia. When I was a child, there was a wide sandy beach in front of my home, where we used to play football. But today, that beach is gone. Sea levels have risen so much that the sand has disappeared. Thirty years ago, the sea was far from our house. Now, it is much closer. White cockatoos, once common on our island, are no longer seen. We have lost much of our biodiversity. Climate change is not a distant concept to me—I’ve lived it . This crisis isn’t about politics. It’s about our shared responsibility. And as a teacher, I believe I must act—...

[ 2024 Korea- Mongolia Teacher Exchange Programme: A Milestone Year ] 2024 marked a truly monumental chapter in the Korea-Mongolia Teacher Exchange Programme. Following a cautious restart in 2023 with four teachers after the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s dispatch expanded to ten teachers, including, for the first time, female teachers—where previously only male teachers had been assigned to Mongolia. What’s even more encouraging is the quality and impact of the programme. Overcoming language barriers, Korean teachers built genuine rapport with Mongolian students and engaged in heartfelt discussions with fellow Mongolian educators on both countries' teaching methods and education systems. Some even immersed themselves in the local lifestyle—one teacher teamed up with a Mongolian PE teacher to win a Korean Volleyball Tournament! 🏛️ Immersive Educational Engagement Across Ulaanbaatar Arriving in Ulaanbaatar on March 4, the teachers completed a two-day local orientation and were ass...

[Reflections from Mongolia – Mr. Kim Jaecheol’s Experience in 2024] Hello, My name is Jaecheol Kim, a special education teacher from Gyeong-eun School, Korea. In 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in the APTE programme in Mongolia. Now, only a few days after returning to Korea, I would like to reflect on my time in Mongolia by sharing some thoughts about my efforts to adapt, the cultural insights I gained, and the impressions I had of my host school. To begin with, I made an effort to learn the names of students, teachers, and staff members at the school and to study the Mongolian language. Though I was far from fluent, I found that my imperfect language skills actually allowed me to listen more attentively and focus deeply on others—enabling real heart-to-heart communication that went beyond words. From a cultural perspective, I was initially surprised that punctuality was not considered very strict in Mongolia. Being late seemed to cause little inconvenience. However, during ...

우리말은 하단에 있습니다. Question.  In light of the changes brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the development of AI and robotics, some argue that the importance of human exchanges has diminished compared to the past. Despite these changes, what do you think are the positive impacts of the APTE, which focuses on the human exchange of teachers, for the educational development of your country ? Answers.  ■ Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia Innovative technology such as AI and robotics are themselves an enthusiastic topic of learning. Anyone would invariably argue for and against them in terms of how they place and/or displace the importance of human exchanges and interactions comparing to the past. But I believe that although we still haven’t been able to fully assess their advantages and disadvantages just yet, because of whatever reasons, at least we know that we already have a tool in our hand that we can learn to use for good purposes in the everyday life. ...