[Jeong Gyu-yeong's Presidential Election and College Admission⑦] The Policy of Equalizing Middle and High School Education Should Be Abolished

Published 04 Feb.2022 09:07(KST)

Proposal for Revision of Elementary, Middle, and High School Curricula

Editor's NoteWe are running a series of expert contributions aimed at improving the structural problems of education in the Republic of Korea and suggesting necessary policy directions. This is a proposal from Jung Kyu-young, chairman of the nonprofit organization 'Studying Athletes, Exercising Students.' Chairman Jung studied at Stanford Graduate School in the United States and served as president of the university's fencing association. He analyzed the selection process of outstanding students from various countries overseas and the elementary, middle, and high school curricula these students completed. Based on this, since 2008, he has been promoting an education system that combines study and sports, as well as scholarship projects, to establish the American education system and school sports system domestically. Drawing on his experience, he discusses stories worth referencing regarding domestic public education and university entrance examination systems.

☞Reference

①Speaking about education to the President of the Republic of Korea

②The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is not a bar exam

③The CSAT should be hope and opportunity for students

④A selection method that nurtures students' 'HOOK' is needed

⑤'Emmiche' (music, art, physical education) is as important as Korean, English, and Math education

⑥Reflect character education in university admissions

Jung Kyu-young, President of the Studying Athletes Exercising Students Association

If universities start selecting students who have studied to achieve high scores on the difficult CSAT, rather than students who only studied or those who are not academically qualified but focused solely on arts and physical education, and instead select students who have learned study and Emmiche (music, art, physical education) in balance and possess proper character, the curriculum of elementary, middle, and high schools will change without the government and Ministry of Education having to make great efforts.

In a situation where universities are decided by the CSAT, which is more difficult than the public education curriculum, dependence on private education increases, and educational inequality deepens as children of parents who spend more on private education inevitably have an advantage in university admissions.

I believe the policy of equalizing middle and high school education should be abolished. Education is different from the police and prosecution, who determine whether rules have been followed or crimes committed or falsely accused. Education should continuously improve in quality like medical technology, as long as it does not contradict the ideology of liberal democracy in the Republic of Korea. Also, diverse educational curricula should be provided according to students' characteristics, enabling the development of each student's 'HOOK,' meaning their specialty and uniqueness.

The ruin of the equalization policy can be summarized in two main points: all students receive the same classes, and all schools are made to be at a similar level. In modern capitalist, liberal democratic societies, any 'equalization' that ignores market economy logic and individual diversity rarely results in upward leveling. Instead, it leads to uniform downward leveling, pushing students' liberal arts, character, and Emmiche education to a lower priority. As a result, our students take the same math classes regardless of their grades, students who are poor at math but good at Korean have no way to develop their strengths in Korean, traditional instruments are not taught at schools, and there is no public education sports league where teams composed of regular students compete, revealing significant limitations.

To illustrate the intention to improve this, I will introduce a case of a student M who was admitted to a prestigious American university where the average English score is 95, despite having an English score of 90 but excelling in metal sculpture.

Student M realized in middle school that they had no aptitude for English and foreign languages. Therefore, in high school, they chose easier English and foreign language classes that could be managed without private education. Instead, they selected more difficult subjects they liked, such as art and history, and achieved good grades. M showed talent in simple metal crafts experienced briefly during art class, developed a passion for metal crafts, formed a club with the school art teacher, and recruited interested students. Subsequently, M continued metal craft creative activities during free time with the teacher and club members, steadily improving skills and winning awards in several art competitions. They also organized an annual regular exhibition with club members.

M's passion for metal extended to playing the trumpet, a brass instrument. They took up trumpet playing as a hobby, performed in the school jazz band, and reached a near-minor major level. M also chose the most difficult chemistry course related to studying metals and earned good grades. Based on this, M applied to a prestigious American university, expressing plans to major in metal crafts, art history, and chemistry, and was admitted.

Cases like M's are unlikely to emerge from downward-leveled high schools. High schools must continuously improve educational quality to attract students, and students should be able to choose schools where they can develop their 'HOOK.' Why should students with no aptitude for English and languages take the same classes as those who excel in English? Why must students who want to study more chemistry rely solely on private education when schools do not provide support? Why do school teachers not value or have the resources to guide students' pure passions like metal crafts and trumpet playing, and why is this not reflected in university admissions except for music and art majors?

Ultimately, to foster educational competitiveness in elementary, middle, and high schools that can develop each student's HOOK, the equalization policy must be abolished. At the same time, teachers' competitiveness must be enhanced. For this, a different method from the current teacher selection through the 'teacher employment exam' is needed, which will be discussed in the next installment.