The Korean government is starting to introduce a secondary school credit system!
Ahn, a mother of two college students, worries about her children’s recent problems with entrance exams (for a bachelor’s degree). Indeed, the “high school credit system” has become a hot topic in South Korea, not only among parents, but also in Korean online communities.
The high school credit system has become a problem for parents, as the government has decided to reform the college admission system in accordance with the new curriculum. The goal is to alleviate excessive competition in teaching and to promote independent learning of students by replacing grades in secondary school with an absolute grade.
However, some fear that high school students in public schools are at a disadvantage due to worsening “grade inflation.”
When the secondary school credit system is introduced in 2025, an absolute grade will be applied in the school assessment system, and in this case, students of secondary special schools and private schools will have an extraordinary advantage in college entrance exams (bachelor’s degree), so they must prepare for the exam from now on.
“Credits” received at one higher education institution will be taken into account for obtaining qualifications at another educational institution.
Ahn said: “I thought you would be able to prepare for the college entrance exams in high school, but I’m afraid that this competition will suddenly start in high school. »
If an absolute rating system is being implemented, the possibility of “overestimation of ratings” is the most worrying. Teachers intentionally give students high marks, which can lead to academic discrimination.
This is why some point out that special secondary schools and independent private secondary schools, which have an excellent educational program and are difficult to pass, may have a much greater advantage than public secondary schools in university entrance exams. First of all, unlike the previous Government, the current Government has confirmed the existence of its own private secondary schools.
The essence of the secondary school credit system is to replace school grades with an absolute grade. In other words, unlike the existing system, which is graded from 1 to 9 depending on school grades, students are graded from A to E depending on their achievements.
If so, what is the opinion of education workers? Although it is predicted that the transition to an absolute assessment system was “inevitable”, it is indicated that the pressure associated with competition in entrance exams may spread to preschool institutions.
“In the last 20 years, the national entrance examination policy has always been reformed to reduce the relative grade and focus on student autonomy,” said an employee of the examination institution upon admission to Gyeonggi—Do.
“I think that the absolute assessment of school grades is a natural result,” he said. “Due to the low birth rate, the number of applicants is declining, and the relative assessment has overheated the competition.”
However, he added: “If the assessment becomes absolute, students of special secondary schools will naturally have more advantages, “strengthening”, even if a blind system is adopted for exams. their acquaintance. »
Another teacher at the academy, B., predicted: “Bachelor’s exams will be as tough as college exams,” adding: “As independence grows, I think that expensive consultations for students may appear to plan such a strategy.”
Indeed, enrollment in large private secondary schools increased dramatically next year. According to the “Competition Analysis and Rating of Private Secondary Schools in 2023” of the Chonno Academy, published on the 18th, the average level of competition among 10 private secondary schools across the country recruiting new students was 1.82:1, exceeding the previous year’s figure (1.57:1).
Experts suggest that in order for the secondary school credit system to prove itself sustainably, efforts are needed that work simultaneously with different conditions.
Han Sung Joon, chairman of the political committee of the Good Teachers Movement, said: “In an educational sense, absolute assessment is a desirable path, but we also need to make efforts to change the existing university admission system according to the new method. education. »
“If you look at the International Baccalaureate (IB), the international college entrance examination system, you will see that credit can be obtained on equal terms in any country,” Han said. “Indeed, external centers that check the assessment of IB tests are strictly controlled. He pointed out that such a system of guarantees or verification is also necessary in Korea.
As for concerns that competition for admission to secondary schools may intensify and create a new market for private education, “it is also the role of the Ministry of Education and the Bureau of Education to prevent students from being pushed into the private education market,” he adds. , “The national private education market has always adapted to changes in education legislation. »
He pointed out: “If you don’t want to rely on private education in terms of career planning, you need to build up your abilities so that they can play such a role.”
