"Stressed High School Seniors Wanting to Get into Their Desired University, What Do You Think About the 'CSAT Postponement Debate'?"

"Possibility of Postponing the College Entrance Exam if COVID-19 Crisis Deepens"
Petitions to Adjust Admission Schedule Continue to Appear at the Blue House
Teacher Organizations Say "It's Important to Monitor the Situation Going Forward"

On the 20th, when third-year high school students started returning to school, students at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, underwent temperature checks and hand sanitization upon arrival./Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "I'm afraid I might not get into the university I want."

As the new semester for high school seniors started today (the 20th), voices calling for another postponement of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) are emerging.

Regarding the postponement of the CSAT, opinions are divided between those who argue that it should be postponed to help students who have not been able to attend school for over two months prepare for college entrance, and those who claim that postponing the CSAT would only increase students' fatigue. Teacher organizations believe it is too early to discuss postponing the CSAT under the current circumstances.

Recently, Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, stated that the CSAT could be postponed once more. Earlier in March, the Ministry of Education postponed this year's CSAT from November 19 to December 3, a two-week delay.

On the 18th, while announcing the 'School Attendance Operation Plan' at the Education Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Superintendent Cho said, "If the COVID-19 crisis worsens, we should be able to postpone the CSAT by a month and reconsider school attendance."

This is not the first time Superintendent Cho has mentioned the possibility of postponing the CSAT. On the 14th, during the 'MBC 100-Minute Debate,' he said, "(Postponing school attendance) is most difficult because of the college entrance schedule," adding, "Is there any reason we can't postpone the CSAT by a month?"

Concerns about the CSAT schedule are also continuing in the political sphere. On the 14th, Hong Kyung-hee, Senior Deputy Spokesperson of the People's Party, stated in a commentary, "The spread of COVID-19 is a critical phase hitting students just before the semester starts. Despite this, the Ministry of Education has not presented any alternatives other than short-term postponement of the semester start," and urged, "The authorities should hasten to make proactive announcements regarding important academic schedules such as postponing the CSAT to minimize confusion among examinees."

On the 20th, when third-year high school students started returning to school, students at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, underwent temperature checks and hand sanitization upon arrival./Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

However, debates over the 'CSAT postponement theory' continue. Kim (50), a parent of a student preparing for the exam, said, "Why postpone the CSAT? Even if it is postponed, it’s only by a month. There’s no guarantee that COVID-19 will improve during that month, and it will only increase students' fatigue."

She added, "The semester start has been delayed about five times, and the CSAT has already been postponed by two weeks. Discussing further postponement itself is stressful for us," and emphasized, "I oppose postponing the CSAT, but if it must be postponed, the best approach is to inform parents and students as soon as possible."

On the other hand, as academic schedules are being delayed one after another, some students are voicing the need for more time to prepare for college entrance. Student Lee (19) said, "Although we had online classes, there were many inconveniences. Compared to in-person classes, concentration and interest were lower, and even with Wi-Fi, connections were often interrupted and videos wouldn’t play properly."

He added, "If we take the CSAT under these conditions, I think repeat students will benefit the most," and said, "We also need time to prepare for college entrance."

On the 20th, when third-year high school students began returning to school, students at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, underwent temperature checks and hand sanitization upon arrival./Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Some teachers have argued that the CSAT should be postponed by more than three weeks. According to a survey conducted by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) from March 25 to 27 among 16,034 teachers nationwide, 38.8% of respondents said the CSAT should be postponed by more than three weeks and the university entrance schedule delayed for the 2021 academic year. Only 9.7% of teachers answered that the test should proceed as originally planned.

As a result, petitions requesting adjustments to the entrance exam schedule have been appearing one after another on the Blue House's petition platform. On the 13th, a petition titled "Please adjust the high school CSAT and early admission schedules" was posted.

The petitioner, who identified as a high school senior, said, "Despite the semester start being delayed by two months, the early admission and CSAT schedules have only been postponed by two weeks and will not change further, which is hard to understand as a student," and called for postponing the CSAT.

He added, "It is a big contradiction to think that online learning can replace the days of in-person school attendance," and appealed, "The Ministry of Education should adjust the CSAT and early admission schedules. High school seniors need time to prepare."

Teacher organizations emphasize that the COVID-19 situation should be prioritized before deciding on postponing the CSAT.

Cho Sung-chul, spokesperson for the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations, said, "If the COVID-19 situation worsens, postponing the CSAT may be unavoidable. However, if the situation remains stable, there is no need to postpone the CSAT," and added, "Rather than discussing postponement now, it is more important to monitor the situation going forward."

He continued, "If the CSAT is held in December, some teachers believe repeat students will have an advantage. Usually, students tend to become lax when staying at home, and examinees have to fill extracurricular activities within a tight schedule. If those parts (extracurricular activities, etc.) are insufficient, they will inevitably be at a disadvantage compared to repeat students," he analyzed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.