--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: South Korea from a country that had…" description: "\"South Korea from a country that had relatively little primary education became close to universal literacy in the course of 25, 30 years, in a way tryi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/amartya-sen-2518_asia_south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-rela_2994212.jpg" --- # South Korea from a country that had relatively little… ![“South Korea from a country that had relatively little primary education became close to universal literacy in the course of 25, 30 years, in a way trying to replicate what Japan had done earlier. They were learning to some extent from the Japanese experience too. So I think, in a sense, the East…” quote by Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/amartya-sen-2518_asia_south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-rela_2994212.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/amartya-sen-2518_asia_south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-rela_2994212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/amartya-sen-2518_asia_south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-rela_2994212.jpg) > “South Korea from a country that had relatively little primary education became close to universal literacy in the course of 25, 30 years, in a way trying to replicate what Japan had done earlier. They were learning to some extent from the Japanese experience too. So I think, in a sense, the East Asians were following a path, which all other countries including South Asia could follow but chose not too.” [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. South Korea rapidly expanded basic education, achieving near‑universal literacy within a generation, modeled after Japan’s earlier reforms. **In simple terms:** South Korea quickly achieved high literacy by copying Japan’s education model. Key Takeaway Invest in universal primary education early. Themes education development policy regional trends learning growth Mood optimistic analytical Type historical policy When to use this quote - government planning - NGO programs - curriculum design - teacher training - international aid Key Concepts Human capital diffusion of innovation comparative development Questions to Reflect On - What factors enabled South Korea’s rapid literacy gains? - Can other regions replicate this model? A Different Perspective Assumes similar political stability and resources across regions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asia/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy/) [Other countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other-countries/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Primary education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primary-education/) [South asia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-asia/) [South korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-korea/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [People like to say that East Asians in general, and Japanese in particular, are not very expressive: there's that term 'inscrutable.' But often, Europeans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/people-like-to-say-that-east-asians-in-general-and-japanese-in/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“Another possibility is that the sweat glands were the driving force behind the rise of EDAR-V370A. East Asians are usually assumed to have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-wade/another-possibility-is-that-the-sweat-glands-were-the-driving-force/) [Nicholas Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-wade/) > [The higher education has always appealed to the South Asian social leaders across all the countries in South Asia. But primary education has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-higher-education-has-always-appealed-to-the-south-asian-social/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I think in those countries, including my own in India, where I think primary education has been badly neglected by successive governments, I blame…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-think-in-those-countries-including-my-own-in-india-where-i-think/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [The achievement of high universal literacy is the key to all other fundamental improvements in American education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-d-hirsch-jr/the-achievement-of-high-universal-literacy-is-the-key-to-all-other/) E. D. Hirsch, Jr > [Once he could read and write he would have a mind fit to rule. So ran the democratic doctrine. But instead of a mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bernays/once-he-could-read-and-write-he-would-have-a-mind-fit-to-rule-so-ran/) [Edward Bernays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bernays/) > [The ideal of universal literacy, in the West anyway, was first of all a Protestant idea - that everybody had to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/the-ideal-of-universal-literacy-in-the-west-anyway-was-first-of-all-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [The question is, will we continue to fight what may be a rearguard action to defend universal literacy as a central goal of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/the-question-is-will-we-continue-to-fight-what-may-be-a-rearguard/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/universal-literacy-was-a-20th-century-goal-before-then-reading-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [“Universal literacy was supposed to educate the common man to control his environment. Once he could read and write he would have a mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-l-bernays/universal-literacy-was-supposed-to-educate-the-common-man-to-control/) Edward L. Bernays > [It is my vision that we all will dedicate the next decade to achieve universal literacy and education for all children, especially for girls.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/it-is-my-vision-that-we-all-will-dedicate-the-next-decade-to-achieve/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“The early advocates of universal literacy and a free press…did not foresee…the development of a vast mass communications industry, concerned in the main neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/the-early-advocates-of-universal-literacy-and-a-free-press-did-not/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [How have people come to be taken in by The Phenomenon of Man? We must not underestimate the size of the market for works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-have-people-come-to-be-taken-in-by-the-phenomenon-of-man-we-must/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even Milton Friedman - doyen of radical free market thought - was willing to consider some government intervention into primary education on the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/even-milton-friedman-doyen-of-radical-free-market-thought-was-willing/) [Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/) > [There's no magic bullet to end poverty in the world. But if you could, the closest thing to it would be basic primary education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kielburger/there-s-no-magic-bullet-to-end-poverty-in-the-world-but-if-you-could/) [Craig Kielburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kielburger/) ## More by Amartya Sen > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. Now how far we can go along that and what new capabilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/capability-is-just-a-concept-of-what-is-it-we-re-looking-at-now-how/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/where-the-mind-is-without-fear-and-the-head-is-held-high-where/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Violence is fomented by the imposition of singular and belligerent identities on gullible people, championed by proficient artisans of terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/violence-is-fomented-by-the-imposition-of-singular-and-belligerent/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I think the whole progress over the last two or three millennia has been entirely dependent on ideas and techniques and commodities and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-think-the-whole-progress-over-the-last-two-or-three-millennia-has/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/no-famine-has-ever-taken-place-in-the-history-of-the-world-in-a/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [To say that certainly America was very lucky to get a large amount of land, and the native Indians were extremely unlucky to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/to-say-that-certainly-america-was-very-lucky-to-get-a-large-amount-of/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [The lack of economic freedom could be a very major reason for loss of liberty, liberty of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-lack-of-economic-freedom-could-be-a-very-major-reason-for-loss-of/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We need to ask the moral questions: Do I have a right to be rich? And do I have a right to be content…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/we-need-to-ask-the-moral-questions-do-i-have-a-right-to-be-rich-and/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“He wrote extensively on how schools should be made more attractive to boys and girls and thus more productive. His own co-educational school at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/he-wrote-extensively-on-how-schools-should-be-made-more-attractive-to/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [One has to be realistic. One’s concern for equity and justice in the world must not carry one into the alien territory of unreasoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/one-has-to-be-realistic-one-s-concern-for-equity-and-justice-in-the/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [While I am interested both in economics and in philosophy, the union of my interests in the two fields far exceeds their intersection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/while-i-am-interested-both-in-economics-and-in-philosophy-the-union/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I was born in a University campus and seem to have lived all my life in one campus or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-was-born-in-a-university-campus-and-seem-to-have-lived-all-my-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [If jobs are important, education is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/if-jobs-are-important-education-is-important/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Thailand's economic development was driven by educational expansion. That has been a very dramatic factor, and South Asia had been pretty miserable in not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/thailand-s-economic-development-was-driven-by-educational-expansion/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) [Explore all 162 Amartya Sen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## More Asia quotes > [Firstly, economic globalisation has brought prosperity and development to many countries, but also financial crises to Asia, Latin America and Russia, and increasing poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lindh/firstly-economic-globalisation-has-brought-prosperity-and-development/) [Anna Lindh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-lindh/) > [We have reiterated on many occasions that China wishes to establish and develop long-term, good-neighbourly and friendly relations with all countries in south Asia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/we-have-reiterated-on-many-occasions-that-china-wishes-to-establish/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In Russia there is an emigration of intelligence: émigrés cross the frontier in order to read and to write good books. But in doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-russia-there-is-an-emigration-of-intelligence-migr-s-cross-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate. The AIDS orphans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-has-been-hard-to-muster-the-resources-to-support-fledgling/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Many of us, whether in the jungles of Asia or on the streets of Chicago, had discovered that noble causes can lead to ignoble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-grant/many-of-us-whether-in-the-jungles-of-asia-or-on-the-streets-of/) [Linda Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-grant/) > [In view of China's growing military strength and intentions, the best way to safeguard Asia's permanent peace and prosperity is to have all Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/in-view-of-china-s-growing-military-strength-and-intentions-the-best/) [Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/) > [Certainly, protecting oppressed people, stopping ethnic conflict and promoting responsible governance are worthy goals. But none is as important for American security and prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/certainly-protecting-oppressed-people-stopping-ethnic-conflict-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The evidence points to central Asia as man's original home, for the general movement of human migrations has been outward from that region and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellsworth-huntington/the-evidence-points-to-central-asia-as-man-s-original-home-for-the/) [Ellsworth Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellsworth-huntington/) > [Maybe it is the last chance for Europe to influence standards for world trade. Next it will be between the US and the Asia-Pacific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmar-gabriel/maybe-it-is-the-last-chance-for-europe-to-influence-standards-for/) [Sigmar Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmar-gabriel/) > [Countries will cooperate with each other, and are more likely to cooperate with each other when they share a common culture, as is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/countries-will-cooperate-with-each-other-and-are-more-likely-to/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [The uniqueness of the United States in human history is the United States is the first global power in human history which emerged far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmet-davutoglu/the-uniqueness-of-the-united-states-in-human-history-is-the-united/) [Ahmet Davutoglu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmet-davutoglu/) > [I've lived 16, 17 years of my life in Asia, and that's most of my life. I was born in Asia - I've lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-golding/i-ve-lived-16-17-years-of-my-life-in-asia-and-that-s-most-of-my-life/) [Henry Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-golding/) > [I've built a career in Asia for 18 years, playing roles that had nothing to do with my race because everybody's Chinese in the films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wu/i-ve-built-a-career-in-asia-for-18-years-playing-roles-that-had/) [Daniel Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wu/) > [Our resources will diminish in the coming decades at a time when hunger for energy grows dramatically in China and other parts of Asia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-e-ott/our-resources-will-diminish-in-the-coming-decades-at-a-time-when/) [Hermann E. Ott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-e-ott/) [Browse all 770 Asia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "South Korea from a country that had relatively little primary education became close to universal literacy in the course of 25, 30 years, in a way trying to replicate what Japan had done earlier. They were learning to some extent from the Japanese experience too. So I think, in a sense, the East Asians were following a path, which all other countries including South Asia could follow but chose not too.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amartya Sen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-relatively-little-primary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asia" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-relatively-little-primary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/amartya-sen-2518_asia_south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-rela_2994212.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/amartya-sen-2518_asia_south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-rela_2994212.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/amartya-sen-2518_asia_south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-rela_2994212.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“South Korea from a country that had relatively little primary education became close to universal literacy…” — Amartya Sen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amartya Sen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "South Korea from a country that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-relatively-little-primary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/south-korea-from-a-country-that-had-relatively-little-primary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```