And Sinje has much to be excited about. She is being educated by what, at first glance, appears to be the most successful education system in the world. In South Korea, 97% of students achieve the equivalent of five C grade GCSEs, or what the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) calls \"the essential baseline qualification for successful entry into the labour market\". In the UK, the figure is 71%.

When the OECD last week published its annual paper, Education at a Glance, it placed South Korea at number one in the world for education out of the OECD\'s 30 members of developed countries. Yet, South Korea has only moderate public spending on education and has more pupils per class - 35 on average at lower secondary level - than any other OECD country.

\"There is great competition between students, which encourages them to study,\" Sinje explains. She can bear the stress, she says. But not all students can cope with the relentless demands on them.

\"The system is not good, you do feel a lot of pressure,\" says Hyojong Son, 25, a recent university graduate. At school, Hyojong struggled; at times she was \"sorry and angry\" and \"wanted to get out of there\".

While the students\' performances look good on paper, the report does not show the emotional impact of high-pressured education. South Korea has the fastest-rising suicide rate in the world. Eight out of every 100,000 15- to 19-year-olds killed themselves in 2003. The stakes are high.

Students are raised in a society where it is considered their patriotic duty to study. Sinje\'s school principal, who wanted to remain nameless, says the success of the Korean system is \"dependent on our ethical character and enthusiasm for education. We\'ve had a hard time in South Korea, but we now have a zeal and enthusiasm for learning.\" In a country with few natural resources, human capital is recognised as the key importance for economic growth.

Sooji, 17, sits quietly by her principal\'s side, nodding as he speaks. She studied in the US for two and half years, and was fearful of returning to an overly strict system.

She has noticed improvements to the school\'s regime. Before she left, female students were forced to cut their hair short, so they would take less time getting ready in the morning. Sooji now has long hair tied back in a ponytail. And she was surprised to find that mobile phones are no longer confiscated. But some things haven\'t changed. \"People in school want to hang around with the smart kids. All I want to be is smarter.\"

The importance of national success is giving way to a need for individual achievement. This year, the strain of competition and an upsurge in the number of suicides provoked protests in Seoul. People yearn for greater freedom, respect and fairness, while parents are beginning to worry about the financial burden and the extreme stresses of school life.

By 7pm it is time for private tuition classes (hagwon), which approximately 80% of students attend. \"Yes, I feel the pressure. We have to prepare for our SATs, our \'early decisions\' [college applications] and our school mid-terms,\" says Seon-Yu Kim. Although the student week was reduced in 2003 from six days to five, students often choose to spend weekends studying. Seon-Yu goes to the library on weekdays after school and attends hagwon all weekend.

What about spare time? \"I have no spare time,\" says Eunji Cho. \"Sleep,\" laughs Seon-Yu. Eunji and Seon-Yu look tired, but this is all they have known. \"This is our life, it is natural.\" When asked whether she has time for fun, Sinje says: \"School life, through clubs and groups, is what fulfils me.\"

The evening tuition classes at Sinje\'s school, in the Gobong district, are optional and she says students are not pressured to attend. But there is pressure to succeed and there is intense competition among students. Gaining a place in a good university is thought to dictate a student\'s entire future success in working life.

People here are aware of the accusations that the country overworks its youth. But the transformation is nothing short of remarkable. In the 1960s, South Korea was 24th in the OECD league table, but now students here are the most likely to achieve a basic education. The country takes third place for the number of students who continue to university, and second for maths education.

The UK, although improving, has slipped to number 22, with the biggest worry being the number of students who drop out at 16. Sinje is surprised to hear the UK has any problems with education. She clasps her hands firmly in her lap and leans forward to offer advice to students: \"They must concentrate on their own responsibility, you have to guarantee an education. The future is close, so it is good to be prepared.\"

The principal sees an irony in our visit: \"Many people are coming from abroad to learn from us, but we learned it from you.\"