Gyeongnam Superintendent Candidate Soonki Kwon Pledges to Reflect Voices from the Field in Regional Education Policy

"High School Credit System Only Increased Student Burden"

A Non-Metropolitan Student Speaks Out About the Reality

As the high school credit system is fully implemented, concerns are growing in the field that, contrary to the policy’s initial goal of expanding student choice, the pressure of university entrance exams and educational disparity between regions are instead deepening.

In particular, students outside the Seoul metropolitan area are voicing concerns that, due to a lack of information on curricula and entrance exams and a growing reliance on private tutoring, "the starting line itself is different."

Recently, Gijin Shin, a student at Myeongshin High School in Jinju, held a discussion with Soonki Kwon, candidate for superintendent of the Gyeongnam Office of Education. During the meeting, Shin specifically pointed out the practical burdens and structural problems the high school credit system imposes on students in non-metropolitan regions, and demanded improvements.

Kwon Soonki, preliminary candidate for Superintendent of Education of Gyeongnam Province, and Shinkijin, a student of Myeongshin High School. [Photo by Kwon Soonki's Campaign Headquarters]

Shin cited the "information gap" as the biggest problem with the high school credit system. He explained, "The university admission process has become much more complicated than before due to the high school credit system, but there are hardly any experts in the provinces who can properly guide us."

He further explained that, "In non-metropolitan areas like Jinju, it is difficult to even find professional consulting agencies, so in the end, students must go to the metropolitan area to obtain proper information."

He especially pointed out that the difference between metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions is not just a regional issue, but is directly linked to economic inequality.

He stated, "Families with financial means can easily access consulting and entrance exam information in Seoul or Gyeonggi Province, but students without such resources have difficulty even attending ordinary private academies. As a result, parents’ economic power translates into their children’s ability to adapt to the high school credit system and remain competitive in entrance exams."

This reflects the view in the field that the high school credit system, rather than respecting each student’s career choices, is actually fueling the expansion of the private education market and increasing anxiety over entrance exams.

Moreover, the burdens students feel are not limited to choosing subjects. Since the expansion of performance assessments and the introduction of the five-grade system for internal evaluations, universities have been more closely examining standard deviations, raw scores, and rankings, making competition among students under the high school credit system even more intense.

Shin emphasized, "They said the five-grade system would reduce student stress, but in reality, things have become even more complicated. Now, it’s not enough to just study well—you have to manage performance assessments, extracurricular activities, and even your subject choices."

Furthermore, there are criticisms in educational settings that, under the so-called "selective curriculum," students are forced to decide on their career paths without sufficient information, and that this structure itself is problematic.

As the subjects and required selections considered by each university continue to change, it becomes even harder for students in the provinces to access accurate information.

Feeling frustrated, Shin requested a meeting with candidate Kwon. Kwon, in turn, readily agreed to a two-hour discussion, expressing his understanding of the difficulties students and teachers face in implementing the high school credit system at schools, and pledged to do his utmost to devise improvements.

Teachers, too, are struggling with preparing for multiple subjects, writing student records, and conducting evaluations. Contrary to the intent of the high school credit system, university entrance exams and the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) are still conducted on a relative evaluation basis, creating confusion as the system and entrance exams are misaligned, and making student guidance challenging.

Candidate Soonki Kwon agreed with Shin that establishing a region-based support system is urgently needed to address these problems. He stressed that it is essential to first create an environment where students outside the metropolitan area can receive information and support equally with those in the capital region.

Kwon stated, "First, we need to establish a public career and entrance exam consulting system for students in non-metropolitan areas. Based on RISE project funding, we will promote high school-university linkage programs to ensure students have a broad range of career options."

He also plans to build a "Gyeongnam High School Credit System External Instructor Pool," bringing together doctoral-level personnel from universities, research institutes, and companies in Gyeongnam. Subjects focused on Gyeongnam’s future industries—such as aerospace, defense, materials and components, energy and environment, and digital and AI—will be designed as "out-of-school educational resource subjects" and officially recognized for high school credits.

Kwon added, "If elected superintendent, I will work through the National Council of Superintendents of Education to propose to the Ministry of Education improvements so that students in the provinces can enjoy equal educational opportunities with those in the capital region, and I will do my utmost to close educational gaps."

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