SEOUL --  2015 is a year that features somewhat prominently in Salesian thinking for obvious reasons. But the Education, Science and Technology Minister in South Korea has a rather different aim for 2015, and it is proving to be of interest not only to our Salesians running schools in South Korea. Next year's meeting of European Salesian Publishers, which includes the largest publisher in the Salesian publishing ecosystem (Edebé), has already indicated 'digital textbooks' and digital publishing generally, as its chief discussion point.

The Korean plan is to roll out a fully digitised system for textbooks in all its schools by 2015, i.e. all curriculum materials are to be delivered in digital form and via computers, by that date.

Called 'Smart Eucation', the project will involve wireless networks being established in all schools as well as an education information system that can run on a variety of devices, not only on computers: tablets and inter-connected TVs for example.

The broader aim is to improve on the already impressive statistics of an education system rated as amongst the best in the world. At the end of the Second world War, 78% of Koreans were illiterate. Now, at least speaking for South Korea, they out perform all European countries and the US at reading and are considered fourth and fith in the world for maths and science respectively. An OECD assessment recently found that South Korean 15-year-olds were the most competent users of digital technologies in a wide range of developed countries similarly assessed. 

Perhaps they might only be outclassed by Australian kids. (No bias intended, of course, and certainly not being smug!). The average Australian child first goes online just before he or she turns eight, according to a new study (AU Kids Online, for the Australian Research Council,) whose authors believe the early start will help them find jobs in a digital future. The internet habits of 400 Australians aged 9-16 were compared with peers in 25 European countries. The study showed Australian children log on a few months earlier than their international peers on average, yet remain among the most cyber safe in the world.

In Korea, however, the Salesians have genuine concerns about some of the other effects of digitisation on youth - forms of digital addiction, for example. They have a counselling centre which focuses largely on this form of addiction, and it is likely that the new Seoul Youth Dream Cente due to open in July of next year, will include counselling of this kind amongst its services.