Filipino robot teachers in Korea!? That does it...I'm out.

Well everybody, I believe the sign for me to leave this country just arrived.  South Korean schools are getting robots to teach their students.  By robots, I mean robots who have a Filipino women's face teaching via avatar because Filipino English teachers would be cheaper.  F%$&!  I can't even type anymore after hearing this.  Here's a quote:

Engkey, a white, egg-shaped robot developed by the Korea Institute of Science of Technology (KIST), began taking classes Monday at 21 elementary schools in the southeastern city of Daegu.

The 29 robots, about one metre (3.3 feet) high with a TV display panel for a face, wheeled around the classroom while speaking to the students, reading books to them and dancing to music by moving their head and arms.

The robots, which display an avatar face of a Caucasian woman, are controlled remotely by teachers of English in the Philippines -- who can see and hear the children via a remote control system.

Cameras detect the Filipino teachers' facial expressions and instantly reflect them on the avatar's face, said Sagong Seong-Dae, a senior scientist at KIST.

"Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea," he told AFP.      - Via Yahoo News

I have no doubt that robots will have a bigger part in our lives in the near future, but this seems to be pure economics and not in the students best interest.  Engineers are probably happy though.  Even if it's eventually cheaper (robots cost a lot), any teacher will say that you get a much better education with a real person in the classroom.  Hand gestures, interaction, hands on learning, and demonstration through examples would be sacrificed.

Since kids can be destructive if discipline is minimal I can only assume the robot will be destroyed by the students within the first two weeks.  However, they'll probably have a supervisor to cattle prod the students who touch it...making the only physical interaction a good 'ol fashioned electric shock.  Spare the prod spoil the child.

To president Obama, if you want to adopt the Korean school system then just take a look at this article and tremble.  Focus on good teachers and a high level of education.  Take a look at Finnish education.