[News Terms] Ministry of Education to Introduce 'Chaegim Gyoyuk Haknyeonje' Next Year

The 'Responsible Education Grade System' designates the critical periods of third grade in elementary school and first grade in middle school as responsible education grades and provides focused support. This system will be implemented starting next year.

Third grade is the stage where subject learning begins based on reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, and first grade in middle school is the stage where secondary education starts on the foundation of elementary education. During this period, academic achievement gaps among students begin to widen, and the system aims to provide concentrated support for learning and growth through accurate diagnosis. The three core competencies of language (literacy), numeracy, and digital skills will be intensively taught.

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho is briefing on measures to enhance the competitiveness of public education at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 21st. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

In Texas, USA, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for grades 3 to 8 provides supplementary learning for students who fall below basic academic proficiency. France supports learning based on levels through basic academic proficiency diagnostic tests conducted at the beginning of the school year for grades 1 and 2 in elementary school and grade 1 (6th grade) in middle school.

The Ministry of Education plans to actively recommend that metropolitan and provincial education offices enable all third-grade elementary and first-grade middle school students to participate in customized academic achievement assessments to diagnose their achievement levels at the beginning of the school year. The Ministry will allow the metropolitan and provincial superintendents to decide on overall student participation and plans to reflect the results in the assignment of evaluation and learning support teachers within the education offices.

The government intends to take responsibility for and guarantee the basic academic skills of elementary and middle school students. The Ministry of Education interprets the implementation of the Responsible Education Grade System as a response to the deepening decline in students' academic skills, with a significant increase in the proportion of students falling below basic proficiency compared to the past, leading to students losing interest in classes and relying on private education to cover deficiencies.

On the 21st, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho announced the 'Plan to Enhance Public Education Competitiveness,' which includes the implementation of the Responsible Education Grade System, at the Government Seoul Office. Minister Lee explained the background of the system's introduction, stating, "According to the national-level academic achievement assessment conducted annually by sampling 3% of third-year middle school and second-year high school students, the rate of students falling below basic proficiency in Korean, English, and Mathematics among third-year middle school students has increased fivefold over the past 10 years, and among second-year high school students, it has increased 3.6 times."

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