Students at two universities in South Korea can now take courses that teach them about sex, relationships and marriage.
Dongguk University and Kyung Hee University in Seoul are now offering classes that provide practical information and experiences related to romance and dating, according to Ewha Voice, the internal publication of South Korea's Ewha University. The courses even require students go on dates with one another as homework.
At Dongguk’s “Marriage and Family” course, students submit to their professor the names of classmates they would like to date and then are required to date three separate individuals for a month each by the end of the semester. “Love & Marriage,” taught at Kyung Hee University, similarly requires students to plan and execute dates that they then discuss in class, along with traditional lectures.
International Business Times reports that academics are teaching the country’s youth how to date, have sex and establish healthy relationships in response to South Korea’s declining birth rates. Busy schedules and difficulties forming and maintaining their romantic relationships have resulted in a sampo generation (a generation that has given up on dating, marriage and children).
“Although students are greatly interested in dating, sex and long-term relationships, their understanding of such subjects are insufficient,” Professor Jun Mi-Kyung of Dongguk University told Ewha Voice. “This is because students do not have the chance to look into their behaviors, so this is the main objective of the course.”
The courses are not designed to be matchmaking or marriage services, however. “Of course, some partners actually developed into real couples, but after a year, the majority of them seem to have separated,” said Mi-Kyung. “This is natural, as most college relationships end in break-ups rather than marriage. Maturing through relationships and break-ups are the primary objective of this course.”
Professor Jang Jae-Sook, the founder of the course at Dongguk University and now a lecturer for the one at Kyung Hee University, emphasized: “The course does not teach students that a happy relationship should end in marriage, as today’s students consider both dating and marriage to be optional,” Jang said. “The aim of the course is to develop students’ ability to choose what kind of person is right for them, so they can make healthy relationships.”
[Photo via Asian Correspondent]
