Police officers even escort girls toward their school. There are 1,100 exam locations throughout the country. Parents usher their children to the test and encourage them while others wait outside and watch their students take the test. Students even come prepared with seat cushions and water bottles.

Students prepare for this test their entire life. One student reported studying six hours a day outside of school in order to prepare. The tension is high because the scores not only affect universities but everything else. One student said "It's all going to be changed by this."

The stress gets so high for some students that they end up committing suicide.  One boy jumped off a bridge earlier this morning and there are other cases. For other students that have opted to take the test and spent a large percent of their time studying head for the testing centers while parents and grandparents gather and pray at Buddhist temples in Seoul and throughout the country. Parents pray for their child's college placement exams. Some parents have been praying for the past 100 days.

Students future careers and ultimately their lives boil down to one test on one single day. The pressure on students is so high to succeed that many high school students don't want to have a child in their country because of all the pressure. The country places a lot of emphasis on education and because of that 83 percent of high school graduates go to universities, but first they must do well on the test. The exam is roughly nine hours long and determines college admission.

The stress and pressure being placed on these kids is astronomical. A child's future shouldn't depend on one day and one test. Plus there is the fact that many students have a disadvantage because they don't test very well. It goes back to the fact that people learn and test differently. Some do great on tests while others do better on interviews or projects. The government should give students more of a chance to show that they can be successful in life without this one test.

Even though graduation rates and college attendance are high, students still need to be able to have a life. They need to spend time with friends socializing, playing sports, and spending time with family. Not everything can be learned in the classroom. They need to experience high school and college because for many us that was the best time of our life.

There is way to much pressure placed on these South Korean students and that is shown with students that are committing suicide or not wanting to have children. While the SAT and ACT in America are the big test they really don't mean that much. They give a background to show what you have learned. However students can go on to college and live a successful life with the value of hard work, instead of one test.

Education is extremely important and Koreans and Americans both understand that. Many Americans don't do well in secondary school but go on to college and open their own businesses. They lead successful lives even if they didn't do well on the test. The American system isn't the greatest and there is a lot of room for improvement, but the South Koreans need to relax a little bit. One test cannot and should not determine the intelligence or worth of a student.

For example, parents in Gaza don't want their children to learn about the Holocaust.  The fact is that it was a major event in modern world history and it's the reason that millions of people from all corners of the world are dead.

Granted, parents are responsible for their children and have the right to question what their children are learning in schools.  After all, parents are the most influential people in their children's life and it's important that they are involved with their children's education.  However, sometimes I think parents are worried about what their children might learn in school because it is different from the beliefs that they hold.

So where is the balance?  Should parents be able to determine what the lesson plan is in schools?  Even though there were 6 million Jews killed in the holocaust and thousands of civilians died, parents in Gaza don't want the information about the Nazi genocide being introduced into curriculum in U.N. schools.

This displays a major barrier between Jews and Arabs.  Jews see this inaction by Arabs as a denial of Israel's right to exist, while Arabs see the Holocaust as an excuse for Israel's creation.  This is controversial and I can see both sides of the argument, but children need to learn what is and has been going on in the world.

Finding the right balance is also a hot topic in the United States as well.  Parents were upset about President Obama's speech to students.  I guess a major factor is how old the student is, older students are less likely to buy into ideas as younger children.  Parents were especially worried about what the pamphlets would say and what kind of an influence they would have on their young children.

School districts in this event did the proper thing by notifying parents about the speech and what would be going on.  They also allowed parents to check their children out of school or to keep them home for the day.  I think what much of this boils down to is that parents need to allow their children to learn about different topics in school but then discuss them at home.

Education is supposed to be where individuals learn about general knowledge, and develop reasoning and judgment, in order to prepare for life.  Students need to be learning about important events and different theories so that they can make educated decisions.  They don't need to believe everything that they hear, but at least they will understand different theories, perspectives, and aspects of our history.

Some of the lessons students learn from a well rounded education, can help students understand one another and therefore find a peaceful solution that can improve everyone's life.  History cannot be repeated if it is remembered.