Controversy Over Seoul Arts High School Passing Vertical Drawings Despite "Draw Horizontally" Entrance Assignment...

Multiple Exam Submissions Ignored, Many Pass
Fairness Concerns Raised... Complaints to Education Office
Seoul Arts High School "Acknowledges Facts... No Issues Found"

It has been reported that many applicants who ignored the given instructions and drew differently were admitted in the 2024 academic year Seoul Arts High School (Seoul Yego) Department of Fine Arts practical evaluation, sparking controversy.

'Paper orientation instructed as horizontal,' but applicants who drew vertically also passed, causing 'controversy'

This photo is for reference only and is not directly related to the article content. [Image source=Pixabay]

According to Kukmin Ilbo on the 15th, Seoul Yego announced the successful candidates for the Department of Fine Arts practical exam on the 27th of last month. The issue is that the list included applicants who ignored the instruction to orient the paper horizontally and instead drew vertically.

Reviewing the Seoul Yego entrance exam questions from art prep academies, the sketching practical problem asked applicants to "present a three-dimensional object symbolizing Seoul Yego," and included the instruction "paper orientation horizontal." However, some applicants who oriented their paper vertically still passed.

The controversy began when a specialized entrance exam academy for arts middle and high schools posted reproductions of the successful candidates' sketches on their social media (SNS). The academy stated in the post, "The principle was to draw horizontally in the sketch, but some drew vertically," and added, "We were worried that this might lead to disqualification, but fortunately, it resulted in good outcomes."

Regarding claims that "paper orientation greatly affects pass/fail," Seoul Yego responds, "We acknowledge the fact but see no problem"

On the 16th, when the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test was held, examinees at Yongsan High School in Seoul were waiting nervously for the exam to begin. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Those raising concerns about the fairness of the exam argued that the paper orientation significantly impacts the expression of the problem.

A middle school art teacher said, "The theme of the drawing itself was more effective when drawn vertically. If applicants who followed the horizontal orientation guideline failed, it could be seen as a fairness issue," and added, "Students who drew vertically should have been excluded from the initial grading pool."

Additionally, parents of unsuccessful applicants and other entrance exam academies reportedly filed complaints regarding exam fairness with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the National Human Rights Commission. There are three complaints to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and one to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

However, Seoul Yego acknowledged that applicants who oriented their paper vertically were admitted but stated that there is no issue. They also declined to disclose detailed grading criteria.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained, "We reviewed Seoul Yego’s internal grading sheets and found no separate scoring for paper orientation," and added, "The education office does not have the authority to intervene in the evaluation methods of the high school."

Meanwhile, Seoul Yego, a private school under Ewha Arts Academy, is regarded as an elite course in the arts field. Due to its status as an early admission high school, applicants often forgo other options to apply here. The Department of Fine Arts admits 138 new students, with a typical competition ratio of about 2 to 1.

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