STUDENTS at two South Korean universities are being offering courses that make it mandatory for them to date their classmates as the country battles to reverse one of the lowest birth rates in the world.
Seoul’s Dongguk and Kyung Hee universities say the courses on dating, sex, love and relationships target a generation which is shunning traditional family lives.
Many young people have given up on courtship, wedlock and childbirth because of economic pressures such as housing costs, unemployment and tuition fees.
The steep decline in marriage has given rise to the new term: the sampo generation.
Professor Jang Jae-sook, who founded a “Marriage and Family” course at Dongguk University, said students were being taught how to find the right partner and sustain healthy relationships.
Police search for pink costumed suspect in Virginia
Media Pushes New Pandemic – CBS News Rolls Out Fear Campaign Over Ebola Outbreak with ‘No Vaccine, No Treatment’
Jeanine Pirro Threatens Parents After Wild Teens Create Disturbing Scene in D.C. Restaurant
Pelosi intervenes in Democratic race to succeed her
Michigan Senate hopeful courting progressives entertains Iron Dome for Palestinians
Civil liberty advocates sue blue state over ‘show your papers’ gun law
Retired Austin cop tears into leftist city council for stripping police of key tools before shooting rampage
Trump Says He Canceled 11th-Hour Iran Bombing at Request of Saudi Leaders Amid New Peace Talks
Supreme Court Bluntly Swats Down Virginia Dems’ Power Grab
DHS, War Dept join probe into Singham network allegedly sowing discord in US
New York’s ‘wrong-headed’ defendant-friendly laws helped toss Mangione evidence: retired cop
‘Unelected mayor of DC’: Trump continues Washington makeover despite backlash
Los Angeles School District Pivots Away from Denying Equal Treatment to Student Bible Club
Blue-state tax burden fuels Americans fleeing to Republican-led southern states
Poland seeks answers after Pentagon scraps planned US armored brigade rotation
She said: ”Korea’s fall in population has made dating and marriage important but young Koreans are too busy these days and clumsy in making new acquaintances.”
And as part of the course, students have to date three classmates for a month each.
Homework includes going on dates and discussing scenarios such as jealousy and conflict.
Ms Jang designed the curriculum to include dating in the belief that learning from real-life experience is as important as studying theory.
She said: ”Korea’s fall in population has made dating and marriage important but young Koreans are too busy these days and clumsy in making new acquaintances.”
Police search for pink costumed suspect in Virginia
Media Pushes New Pandemic – CBS News Rolls Out Fear Campaign Over Ebola Outbreak with ‘No Vaccine, No Treatment’
Jeanine Pirro Threatens Parents After Wild Teens Create Disturbing Scene in D.C. Restaurant
Pelosi intervenes in Democratic race to succeed her
Michigan Senate hopeful courting progressives entertains Iron Dome for Palestinians
Civil liberty advocates sue blue state over ‘show your papers’ gun law
Retired Austin cop tears into leftist city council for stripping police of key tools before shooting rampage
Trump Says He Canceled 11th-Hour Iran Bombing at Request of Saudi Leaders Amid New Peace Talks
Supreme Court Bluntly Swats Down Virginia Dems’ Power Grab
DHS, War Dept join probe into Singham network allegedly sowing discord in US
New York’s ‘wrong-headed’ defendant-friendly laws helped toss Mangione evidence: retired cop
‘Unelected mayor of DC’: Trump continues Washington makeover despite backlash
Los Angeles School District Pivots Away from Denying Equal Treatment to Student Bible Club
Blue-state tax burden fuels Americans fleeing to Republican-led southern states
Poland seeks answers after Pentagon scraps planned US armored brigade rotation
And as part of the course, students have to date three classmates for a month each.
Homework includes going on dates and discussing scenarios such as jealousy and conflict.
Ms Jang designed the curriculum to include dating in the belief that learning from real-life experience is as important as studying theory.
The crude marriage rate – the annual number of marriages per 1,000 people – was 5.5 last year, compared with 295.1 when statistics began in 1970.
Seoul has spent about £50 billion trying to boost the birth rate.
Story cited here.
