Opinions among internet users are divided regarding the educational philosophy of broadcaster Sayuri, who raises her 6-year-old son.
Recently, the educational philosophy that Sayuri revealed last March has been brought back into the spotlight, mainly on social media and online communities.
At that time, Sayuri met with Jang Yeong-ran and revealed her educational philosophy while raising her 6-year-old son, Zen, alone.
Sayuri said, "Zen speaks Japanese at home, English at kindergarten, so when will he learn Korean? I wanted his Korean to be solid," and added, "I wrote a letter to the English kindergarten teacher stating, 'Our son absolutely does not do homework. I also oppose homework at this age. I am very proud of my son who does not do homework, so please do not send him any homework.'"
Sayuri explained that the reason she sent the letter was, "I was worried that homework might stifle his curiosity about language. If he grows to dislike English and loses interest, he won't do it. If he can adapt well to foreign languages, he will be able to live anywhere later on." Zen is reportedly able to speak a total of six languages: Korean, Japanese, English, Chinese, and Spanish.
However, as this information spread through online communities, a heated debate ensued among internet users. One user commented, "If that's the case, you should homeschool. Kindergartens have their own curricula, so if you like some aspects and dislike others, isn't homeschooling more suitable than kindergarten?" Another user pointed out, "Is it something to be proud of not doing homework? If all the other kids do homework and he doesn't, it might cause confusion in community life."
Some expressed opinions such as, "Why do so many people have so much to say about a mother's educational philosophy in raising her children?" and "Isn't that why they didn't give him homework in the kindergarten? If the teacher agreed, that should be enough."
Additionally, it became known again that Sayuri recently confessed on a YouTube channel in Gangnam that her son Zen has difficulty with communal living. Sayuri revealed laughing, "Zen was kicked out of play school 10 days before he went to nursery." She added, "Zen is very stubborn. He insists on doing things his own way," and noted, "Since then, every time I get a call from the nursery, I have to start with 'I'm sorry.'"
Meanwhile, Sayuri gave birth to her son Zen in 2020 using sperm donated by a Western man through a sperm bank in Japan, without getting married. She is openly living as a 'voluntarily single mother,' which is rare in the domestic broadcasting industry, and is leading the way in broadening the public's perception of new family forms and choices.
[Photo] OSEN DB, YouTube capture.
[OSEN]