SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - Becoming an athlete was the most frequently cited future dream among elementary school students when asked what they want to be, while middle and high school students most often said they want to become teachers, a survey released on Thursday reveals.
The annual survey of about 12,000 students conducted in May and June by the Ministry of Education by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, showed similar results to the previous year, as many schoolchildren dreamed of securing stable jobs like teaching.
Among elementary students, becoming an athlete topped the list at 14.1 percent, maintaining its lead for eight consecutive years since 2018. It was followed by doctor (6.6 percent), YouTuber (4.8 percent), teacher (4.5 percent), and chef (3.9 percent), with rankings unchanged from last year.
But the most sought-after job among middle school students was teacher at 7.5 percent, followed by athlete (5.4 percent), doctor (3.6 percent), police officer (3.2 percent), and nurse (2.9 percent). Teaching was also the most favored career among high school students at 7.6 percent.
Becoming a teacher has been the top choice for middle and high school students since 2015.
Some 64.9 percent of high schoolers want to attend college, slightly down from 66.5 percent last year, while those seeking employment rose 2.3 percentage points to 15.6 percent. About 11.2 percent remain undecided.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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