Book 2 Entry #6

Q. Are there any current situations in the world that relate to the novel? what are they, and how do they relate? does the novel shed any light on how current situations could be resolved or "fixed"?

As I was reading this novel, I was easily, obviously relate this situation to a real world situation. It was Korea. Although some minor factors are different, there are many similarities with Korean education and the Battle School in Ender's game. Both gives hard time to students and soldiers.

As many students in TCIS know, Korean schools literally “impose” a lot of work on students and basically inundate the students with knowledge. The similar thing is done in the Battle School. They take the children when they are young, treat them like soldiers in armies, and make them do tough training. Moreover, the Battle School and Korean schools both show ranks of soldiers/students about how well they perform. As the students and soldiers grow older, their lives become more harder. They have to think more and work more. Therefore, students who perform well tend to live an easier life in both places.

Still, there are some differences. One is that the Battle School doesn’t force students to enter it, and it only has geniuses in the school. However, after the boys enter the school, more things are similar. They are swamped with hard work by harsh, given from not so magnanimous teachers.

Because the novel isn’t focused on criticizing Korea’s education system, it doesn’t talk a lot about how the battle school could be resolved or “fixed.” As a matter of fact, in the novel, the Battle School seems to be an efficient system, which can train soldiers and commanders at the best conditions. Yet, it doesn’t mean that Korean education system is always efficient. There are always problems in education systems. If we are to find solutions for such problems, it would be better to look at other non-fictions are other genres of fiction, because Science Fiction has a distance from real life. Personally, I think this book relates a lot with the 21st century Korea’s education system, though it isn’t intended by the author.