[AKYUNG Poll] 3 out of 10 Say "University Should Have Autonomy in Admission System"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Among the public, 3 out of 10 people considered 'university autonomy' the most important regarding the college entrance examination system.

When asked, "How do you think the college entrance examination system in our country should change?" 28.1% of respondents said, "Universities should be given autonomy in student selection." This was followed by "The current 30% proportion of regular admissions should be expanded" (25.4%), "The regular admissions rate should be maintained at the current level" (16.7%), "The proportion of regular admissions should be reduced and early admissions expanded" (15%), and "Don't know" (14.9%).

Support for university autonomy was highest among those aged 60 and over at 36.9%. It was 33.9% for those in their 50s, 23.6% for those in their 40s, 21% for those in their 30s, and 18.5% for those aged 18-29, showing that younger age groups were less supportive of university autonomy.

By region, Daegu·Gyeongbuk (36.6%) placed the greatest importance on university autonomy. Daejeon·Sejong·Chungcheong (28%), Seoul (28.3%), and Busan·Ulsan·Gyeongnam (28%) showed similar figures.

By occupation, the unemployed (38.6%), housewives (32.6%), blue-collar workers (31.7%), and those in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and forestry (30.8%) supported university autonomy the most.

The age group advocating for expanding regular admissions was led by those in their 40s (32.7%), followed by those in their 30s (32.4%) and those aged 18-29 (30.8%).

Among occupations, white-collar workers (37.9%) considered expanding regular admissions most important. Students (32.3%), self-employed (22.8%), and unemployed (20.1%) also showed relatively high support.

When divided by ideological inclination, conservatives showed 34.1% support for university autonomy, moderates 28.9%, and progressives 24.7%. Conversely, for expanding regular admissions, moderates supported it at 28.2%, progressives at 25.8%, and conservatives at 24.2%.

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, has pledged to increase the proportion of regular admissions. This aims to reduce controversies over unfairness in the current comprehensive student record screening system, which has been criticized as a 'parental chance' issue. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, has not announced any college entrance-related pledges.

This survey was conducted by Asia Economy through Win-G Korea Consulting from the 28th to 29th of last month, targeting voters aged 18 and over nationwide. A total of 1,009 people responded, with an overall response rate of 10.7%. The survey method was 100% mobile phone virtual number and telephone interview. The sample was extracted using weighted values by gender, age, and region based on the resident registration population as of the end of January 2021 from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (cell weighting). The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, refer to the Win-G Korea Consulting website or the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.

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