The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
Biz & Tech
  • Auto
  • IT
  • Game
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail & Food
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Airlines
Finance
  • Policies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Banks
  • Non-banks
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • Books
  • Travel & Cuisine
  • Trend
  • Fashion
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
  • K-pop
  • K-dramas & Shows
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Performances
  • Asia Model Festival
Sports
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Baseball
  • Other Sports
World
  • Asia Pacific
  • Americas
  • Europe & Africa
  • SCMP
Video
  • On the Spot
  • Feature
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
Community
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
Sat, February 27, 2021 | 19:34
Education
Top educator calls for abolition of college entrance tests
Posted : 2015-01-07 18:13
Updated : 2015-01-07 22:09
Mail
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Top Gyeonggi educator advocates more freedom for students

By Chung Hyun-chae

Lee Jae-joung
Lee Jae-joung
Lee Jae-joung, superintendent of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, has called for the abolition of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).

"The current college entrance exam should be abolished to ease excessive competition among students and normalize school education," Lee said in a recent interview.

The former unification minister proposed that universities and colleges should recruit students based on their school records, not on CSAT scores.

The CSAT is a nationally administered test held every November for high school seniors. It has long been blamed for causing unduly harsh competition among students and putting enormous financial obligations on parents due to the exorbitant costs of private tutoring.

"If we drastically change the college entrance system, we can significantly reduce the costs of private tutoring," said Lee.

He is also confident that the scrapping of the CSAT will help students reduce stress over the heavy study load for exams and have more freedom to develop creative thinking in order to maximize their potential.

"I visited a site for the CSAT exam last November and was shocked to find students wandering around looking for their test room during very cold weather," he said.

"I suggested that students should sit exams more than twice throughout the year and then their highest scores should be selected from these," he said.

But he said it is up to the Ministry of Education to decide whether to repeal the CSAT.

"My catchword for the last six months since my inauguration has been ‘innovation.' I'll devote myself to making real progress in innovating schools and the education system," Lee said.

He also said his policy direction has focused on making students the main actors in school and other education facilities.

He plans to turn more than 80 percent of 2,225 schools in the province into "innovative" schools in a move intended to normalize the dilapidated state of public education.

The province now has only 365 innovative schools, accounting for only 16 percent of the total.

He said innovative schools were model establishments in which students could develop creativeness and acquire problem-solving abilities.

He explained such schools are designed to help students avoid excessive competition for college entrance exams, thereby fostering a spirit of cooperation to promote personality development.

Lee, a former lawmaker, said he will make further efforts to reform the education system in order to bring hope to students and maximize their potential.

"I put the top priority on making students happy to go to school and at the same time making teachers feel proud of their teaching profession. Gyeonggi Province will take the lead in making these changes," he said.

His innovation efforts began with pushing back schools' start time to 9 a.m. in order to give students more time to sleep and have breakfast with their families. Previously elementary and middle schools started around at 8 a.m. and high schools at 7:30 a.m.

Most students welcomed the change while many parents and teachers opposed it because it would be hard to adapt to the pushed-back schedules.

"I also thought that the pushback was necessary for personal development education because students can have more time with their families in the morning while having breakfast together," Lee said.

He noted that the policy was based on students' demands.

After reaching a consensus on the issue, 1,932 elementary, middle and high schools in the province have adopted the 9 o'clock school time. Seoul City also followed suit as it is seen as improving students' health.

Lee has also pushed for the abolition of a penalty points system which he believes is detrimental to education. He argues that the system causes unnecessary tension between teachers and students.

"I thought it would be better if students could set rules by themselves to solve problems they face, not by imposing penalty points on them," he said.

His other policy is to make principals and vice principals teach students in the classroom from March, which has also triggered a backlash.

"They have also been teachers and it would offer great opportunities for them to hear students' hopes and dreams directly. I hope it will contribute to normalizing school education," he said.

Emailhcchung@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
Gyeonggi to start 'Dream School'
Lee Jae-joung, superintendent of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, has vowed to press ahead with a "Dream School" project to help students discover their potential. ...









 
 
  • 12-year-old boy accused of terrorist threat at Incheon airport
  • Korea begins mass vaccination
  • Non-Korean victims, scholars, civic groups join protest against Ramseyer's paper on sex slavery
  • Gov't to provide 'COVID-19 vaccine certificate'
  • Controversial bill on constructing new airport in Busan gets final parliamentary nod
  • Artist, feminists at loggerheads over sex doll artwork at MMCA
  • Attorney insists sexual assault allegations against Ki Sung-yueng are true
  • First day of Korea's mass vaccination drive [PHOTOS]
  • Dwindling population's impact on the Korean stock market?
  • Korea to extend current social distancing measures for 2 weeks
  • Premiere of 'Dear. M' postponed after Park hye-su accused of bullying Premiere of 'Dear. M' postponed after Park hye-su accused of bullying
  • Writer behind successes of 'Mr. Sunshine,' 'Guardian' to lead new fantasy romance series Writer behind successes of 'Mr. Sunshine,' 'Guardian' to lead new fantasy romance series
  • Ex-T-ara singer Soyeon's stalker under probe for trespassing on her home Ex-T-ara singer Soyeon's stalker under probe for trespassing on her home
  • Netflix to invest $500 million in Korea in 2021 Netflix to invest $500 million in Korea in 2021
  • Zo In-sung's first reality show, 'Unexpected Business,' off to good start Zo In-sung's first reality show, 'Unexpected Business,' off to good start
DARKROOM
  • Earth is suffering

    Earth is suffering

  • NASA's Perseverance rover is landing on Mars

    NASA's Perseverance rover is landing on Mars

  • Fun in the snow, sledding for everyone

    Fun in the snow, sledding for everyone

  • Our children deserve better: Part 3

    Our children deserve better: Part 3

  • Mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign starts: Part 2

    Mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign starts: Part 2

  • About Korea Times
  • CEO Message
  • Times History
  • Content Sales
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • 고충처리인
  • hankookilbo
  • Dongwha Group
  • Code of Ethics
Copyright