Online Schools Claim to Support Students’ Talents and Aptitudes but Remain Focused on CSAT Subjects

Kim Minjeon’s Office Analyzes Online School Course Offerings
199 out of 592 Courses (33.6%) Are CSAT Subjects
Jeonnam Reaches 72%
Kim Stresses "Need for Greater Course Diversity"

There have been criticisms that online schools, which were established with the aim of offering a variety of classes tailored to students' career paths and aptitudes, are in fact overly focused on classes preparing for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). Although the high school credit system was introduced to realize diverse and customized education, the education system still remains centered on the CSAT.

According to data received by Assemblywoman Kim Minjeon from the Ministry of Education on October 16, out of 592 courses offered by online schools under the 17 metropolitan and provincial education offices nationwide, 199 courses (33.6%) were concentrated on subjects included in the CSAT. In other words, one out of every three courses offered is a CSAT subject.

Online schools were launched by each regional education office across the country in March of this year to supplement the newly introduced high school credit system. Under this system, students can graduate after earning 192 credits over three years of high school, and they move between classrooms to attend courses they have registered for, similar to college students. However, since the number of courses available in physical school settings is limited, online schools were introduced to address this issue.

According to the introduction of online schools, they were established to "diversify school curricula and expand students' subject choices, thereby supporting students in designing their academic paths and engaging in self-directed learning tailored to their talents, aptitudes, and career goals."

However, Assemblywoman Kim's office pointed out that, contrary to their original intent, online schools are excessively focused on CSAT subjects, and this tendency is even stronger in regions outside the capital area.

In Jeonnam, out of a total of 18 courses offered, 13 courses (72.2%)-including economics, physics I and II, earth science I, chemistry I, Japanese, and world geography-were CSAT subjects.

In Gyeongnam, 65.7% of online school courses (23 out of 35) were CSAT subjects, and in Jeonbuk, the figure was 62.8% (27 out of 43). Other regions such as Chungnam (48.8%), Ulsan (41.2%), and Busan (39.3%) also had a higher proportion of CSAT subjects in their online schools than the national average.

In contrast, in Seoul, only 4 out of 38 courses (10.5%) were CSAT subjects, showing a stark difference. Incheon (24.2%) and Gyeonggi (23.8%) also had lower proportions than the national average. This suggests that online schools in non-capital regions are playing a role in supplementing the limitations of local education.

Assemblywoman Kim stated, "If online schools are to fulfill their original purpose, they should offer students a broad selection of subjects. In reality, however, they are mainly focused on CSAT subjects, which continues to restrict students' choices. To ensure diversity in students' learning experiences and equity in educational opportunities, it is necessary to secure a wider variety of courses in online schools."

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