Visiting High School Credit System Site... "We Make 'Translation Apps' During Class Time"

High School Credit System Fully Introduced for First-Year Students This Year
Must Meet 'Minimum Achievement Standard' to Earn Credits
"Choose Classes According to Career Path"
Teachers and Students Express Regrets in Early Implementation

On the morning of the 27th, on the 4th floor of Seoul Dangok High School in the 'Excitement on Room', students were holding 'laptops' and 'tablets' instead of textbooks. Unlike a typical classroom with square desks lined up in rows, six students sat around a spacious table in groups, operating laptops according to the teacher's explanation. When the input phrase "One turkey, please" was entered, a voice translated it fluently into a foreign language.

That day's class was a 'Smart Content Practice' subject that can be chosen under the high school credit system, where students directly create foreign language translation applications. Students from the nearby Sudo Girls' High School, connected through the 'Shared Campus', also attended the class remotely. When the teacher asked a question via video program, the Sudo Girls' High School students on the screen sent a 'circle' sign to indicate understanding.

High School Credit System Fully Introduced for 1st Year... Classes Selected According to Career Paths

Students are attending the 'Smart Content Practice' class at Dangok High School in Seoul. Photo by Kim Young-won

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education visited high schools nationwide on the 27th to check the operation status and review support measures for the high school credit system, which was fully introduced this year. Unlike the existing curriculum, the high school credit system operates a 'credit-based, choice-centered' curriculum. In the first year of high school, students mainly take common subjects, while in the 2nd and 3rd years, elective subjects are the focus. Students can apply for elective subjects according to their career paths to meet the required credits per semester. To support this, guidance programs are provided in the first year to help students choose subjects that fit their career and aptitude.

Subjects not offered at their own school can be taken at other schools through hub schools or shared campuses. Dangok High School, Sudo Girls' High School, and Sillim High School share distinctive subjects such as Global Issues and Future Society, Spanish, and Smart Content Practice through the shared campus.

Shin Ji-min (16), a 2nd-year student taking the Smart Content Practice class, said, "If it weren't for the high school credit system, I would have just said my dream was to be a 'teacher,' but through the system and various integrated classes, I can now say my dream is to be a 'digital educator'." Shin chose one social studies and one science inquiry subject aligned with her career path covering both humanities and sciences, and also selected 'Global Issues and Future Society' as a shared campus subject. Kim Byung-min (16), who takes the same class, said, "My dream is to be an app developer. I chose geometry for math and physics for science inquiry according to my career path, and I also take the Smart Content Practice class."

Must Achieve 40% Academic Achievement Rate to Earn Credits

Unlike in the past when students could graduate by just meeting attendance requirements, under the high school credit system, students must achieve a minimum academic achievement rate of 40% to earn credits. Graduation is possible after acquiring more than 192 credits over three years.

This year, the 'minimum achievement level' is fully applied to 1st-year high school students. The 40% academic achievement rate standard is basically based on guidelines from the education authorities and the judgment of the subject teachers. Kim Hyun-jun, vice principal of Dangok High School, said, "Within the education office guidelines, teachers are handling this by fully utilizing their discretion and expertise in their subjects."

Accordingly, schools operate a 'minimum achievement guarantee system' to help students meet the standards. Students expected to fall short are identified early and receive supplementary guidance during the semester or vacation periods. Teacher Bae Deok-gi of Dangok High School said, "The core of the high school credit system is that no student is left behind; everyone moves forward together. Previously, classes would proceed and end even if students were sleeping, but now that is not the case."

Still Some Regrets... "Hope for More Face-to-Face Opportunities" "Difficulty Securing Teachers"

Jeong Geun-sik, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and Jeong Na-mi, Principal of Dangok High School, are observing a high school credit system class. Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

However, some pointed out shortcomings in the early stages of implementation. Shin said, "When applying for shared campus classes, I thought there would be face-to-face time at Sudo Girls' High School, but in reality, only performance assessments are done face-to-face, and direct participation was limited to about a 5-minute presentation. That part is a bit disappointing." Regarding online classes, she added, "Usually, I sit in the front seat and talk with the teacher to avoid falling asleep during class, but in online shared campus classes, I can't do that. Some students just listen with earphones on, so if a student lacks self-directed learning skills, it could be difficult."

Lee Sun-hee, vice principal of Sudo Girls' High School, said they faced difficulties hiring teachers according to demand. The teacher appointment cycle (one year) does not align with the semester-based high school credit system, and it is impossible to predict in advance which subjects will have excess demand during course registration. Vice Principal Lee said, "If elective and common subjects are concentrated in a specific subject area, for example, there are two art teachers but the workload is equivalent to three teachers. If subjects were operated on a yearly basis, hiring one more teacher would suffice, but since classes are operated per semester, we inevitably have to hire part-time instructors."

There is also an evaluation that teachers' administrative work has increased during the initial system setup. Teacher Jung Byung-hee said, "There are many trial and error issues because the 1st and 2nd years, where the high school credit system is fully applied, differ in administrative tasks such as attendance checks. There are many parts of the system that do not fit the school's situation, so teachers are working hard to resolve these issues."

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