Ewha Haktang

Ewha Haktang (, Lihua Hakdang) is a Korean secondary education institution established in 1886 in Hansung-bu, Joseon, and is one of the earliest women's education institutions in Korea. The school name Ewha comes from Ewha Haktang and is the forerunner of Ewha Womans' University and Ewha Girls' High School. It is also the alma mater of independence activist Yu Gwan-sun.

History

Foundation

Ewha Hakdang was founded in 1886 in Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Mary F. Scranton, a female missionary from the Methodism, the founder of Ewha Hakdang, is the mother of William Scranton. The school's name was given to King Gojong of the Korean Empire and was Korea's first private female education institution.

In 1904, the secondary school was established. High school courses were added in 1908, and university courses were added in 1910. First graduates of secondary school were graduated in 1908, and first graduates of university courses were graduated in 1914.《Encyclopedia of Korean Culture》, Ewha Hakdang, Academy of Korean Studies

Architecture of the main hall of Ewha Hakdang

The main hall of Ewha Hakdang was built by Shim Eui-seok, a famous architect at the time, from 1897 to 1899.

Growth

In 1918, the general department was divided into Ewha Girls' High School and the high school department was divided into Ewha Womans University. The university department was promoted to a vocational school in 1925 and opened as Ewha Womans University. In 1928, the last remaining kindergarten curriculum was independent as Ewha Nursery School, and the name of Ewha Hakdang disappeared as schools at all levels were operated under an independent system.

Subject

It was initially troubled by the Korean traditional notion of avoiding women's education and the exclusive nature of Westerners. Looking at the initial situation, Mrs. Scranton was pointed out as a ''"Western goblin"'', and the first student was a female student who had cholera. And in 1887, it was very difficult to find students, with the number of students increasing to only seven. As for the purpose of education at Ewha Hakdang, Gilmore pointed out, "It is to make Korean girls an exemplary housewife and to make Protestant missionaries among their relatives and colleagues." Since the school was established by Protestantism, the Bible is the most important as a subject, and Mrs.Scranton also taught English, English Grammer, English Literature, Mathematics, Hangul, Music, History, and Writing, as well as Chinese characters. In other words, she taught subjects that can be applied in real life.

a wedding and a graduation ceremony

Prior to 1908, there was no graduation ceremony, but most of them quit their studies by getting married. he elderly female student's wedding was thus assisted by missionaries. The missionary served as the girl's guardian to save the groom and pay for the wedding.

Among the weddings arranged by a missionary at Ewha Hakdang, Korea's first Western-style wedding was held on April 18, 1897, with groom Cho Man-soo and bride Kim Ryun-si. Born in 1879, Kim Ryun-si was a student who attended Ewha Hakdang for nine years, and Cho Man-soo was born in Gwacheon on January 1, 1876, and came to Seoul at the age of 17 to teach the Korean language for Josephine Ophelia Payne, the current teacher of Ewha Hakdang.

See also

* Ewha Girls High School
* Ewha Womans University

Encyclopedia of Korean Culture - Ewha Hakdang

References

External links

{{Commons category, Ewha Hakdang

1886 establishments
Ewha Womans University
Buildings and structures in the Korean Empire
Buildings and structures of Korea under Japanese rule
Downtown Seoul