By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Children returning from overseas studies will have to take exams for readmission to schools here. The measure is to keep returning students from being admitted at grades beyond their academic ability and make Korean children think twice about going overseas for studies.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday it has distributed guidelines on how to handle returning children re-entering elementary and secondary schools in the city.
Schools have so far admitted almost all returning students and placed them into classes according to their age without testing their academic level. However, some children experience difficulties catching up due to the different curricula between overseas schools and those in Korea.
``We regulate each school to test returning students according to their own yardstick. However, not many schools follow the rules. The exams will not be difficult, but those who fail will not be able to attend the classes they want to,’’ an official from the ministry said.
The tougher regulation comes as a growing number of children are going overseas for studies.
``Many children fail to adapt themselves to overseas studies and are returning home. Schools have to set up a screening system for those students. It is not to stop the children returning home but to help them learn better at Korean schools,’’ said Kim Yang-joon, principal of Jayang Middle School in Seoul.
Roughly 30,000 Korean students go overseas every year, nearly 20 times that of a decade ago.