PM Hints at Abolishing Three-No Admission Policy
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Chung Un-chan has said it's time for the government to allow universities to pick students based on their own criteria, indicating reform of the country's admission policy for higher education.
"My thought on the admission policy is that universities should have full autonomy in picking students. They should no longer be told how to choose their students," Chung said during an interview with EBS TV, which aired Sunday.
He also called for the need to introduce the disputed donation-for-admission system for private schools in an effort to improve their finances.
The remarks indicate he may push for the abolishment of the so-called "three-no" admission policy: prohibiting the ranking of high schools by colleges; the administering of their own tests, with the exception of essay tests, to pick students; and the receiving of donations in exchange for admission.
Chung's proposal came days after President Lee Myung-bak called for educational reform to meet the needs of parents and students.
In a biweekly radio address, Lee said he would convene a monthly meeting of senior educational policymakers from this month to discuss ways to improve the education sector.
The three-no policy has been the backbone of the government's admission system since 1998, but has been cited as the biggest stumbling block for the development of educational services by many colleges.
Since taking office last September, the prime minister has called for a change to the college admission system, but progressive teachers' groups, led by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, have opposed his idea.
Reform of the admission system was one of the President's key campaign pledges in late 2007.
Lee promised to strengthen public education, reduce private tutoring bills on households, give universities more autonomy in picking students and establish various forms of high schools.