The Hyanggyo were government-run provincial schools established separately during the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...

Dynasty (918-1392) and

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

(July 1392 - August 1910), but did not meet with widespread success in either dynasty. They were officially closed near the end of the Joseon Dynasty, in 1894, but many were reopened as public elementary schools in 1900. In the Joseon Dynasty, hyanggyo were established in every ''bu'', ''mok'', ''daedohobu'', ''dohobu'', ''gun'', and ''hyeon'' (the last corresponding roughly to the size of modern-day cities and counties). They served primarily the children of the

yangban The ''yangban'' () were part of the traditional ruling class or gentry of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The ''yangban'' were mainly composed of highly educated civil servants and military officers—landed or unlanded aristocrats ...

, or ruling elite upper-class. Education was oriented toward the

gwageo The ''gwageo'' or ''kwago'' were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' ability of writing composition and knowledge of the Chinese clas ...

, or national civil service examinations. Although such education was in high demand, the hyanggyo were ultimately unable to compete with the privately run

seowon Seowon () were the most common educational institutions of Korea during the mid- to late Joseon Dynasty. They were private institutions, and combined the functions of a Confucian shrine and a preparatory school. In educational terms, the seowon ...

and

seodang Seodang were private village schools providing elementary education during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Background They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7-16 years of age, bu ...

References

*{{cite web, url=http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=300484&v=44 , script-title=ko:향교 鄕校 , trans-title=Hyanggyo , publisher= Nate /

Encyclopedia of Korean Culture The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. The articles in the encyclopedia are aimed at readers who want to learn about Korean culture and histor ...

, language=Korean , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610072625/http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=300484&v=44 , archivedate=2011-06-10

External links

Asian Historical Architecture: Cheongdo Hyanggyo, a representative exampleCyber Tour to Cultural Property - Jeonju Hyanggyo
Education in the Joseon dynasty Goryeo

See also

References

External links