Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Plastic screens on CSAT test desks draw complaints from students
The Ministry of Education announced Wednesday the finalized version of the plastic screens which will be installed on all desks at College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) sites across the country on Dec. 3. / Courtesy of North Jeolla Office of Education
By Lee Hyo-jin
By Lee Hyo-jin
Plastic screens, which will be installed on each desk at the national university entrance exam set for Dec. 3 in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19, have drawn complaints from students after the Ministry of Education announced the finalized design Wednesday.
Following the Ministry of Education's safety guidelines for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) announced in August, the authorities will introduce a 60-centimeter-wide, 45-centimeter-long plastic divider on Wednesday. The divider is semi-transparent to prevent cheating. Over 490,000 screens will be set up on desks at 1,185 sites across the country.
Orbi, an internet community for CSAT test-takers with over 400,000 members, was flooded with comments from students expressing their frustration, calling it an unnecessarily excessive measure as the screens take up too much space.
“I won't be able to flip the test sheets back and forth quickly, and there won't be enough space to place all my belongings such as my test identification slip, ID card, OMR sheets, wristwatch and pens,” wrote one internet user.
“Everyone will be wearing a mask during the exam, and there will be no conversations between the students. I don't see the point of setting up partitions. It will only make us uncomfortable,” read another comment.
An internet user claiming to be a third-year high school student posted a complaint on the Ministry of Education website saying, “I would like the minister to show an example by uploading a video of her taking the eight-hour exam in a small desk surrounded by plastic screens and wearing a mask.”
A public petition posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website urging the government to retract its “bureaucratic and ineffective” decision, calling it a waste of tax, has gained more than 23,000 signatures as of 2 p.m., Thursday.
A total of 1.9 billion won ($1.67 million) was spent on 120,000 plastic screens for test sites in the capital area, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE). An estimated 8 billion won will be needed to install them nationwide.
Meanwhile, some students are buying plastic screens sold for 20,000 won through online shopping malls to get used to the conditions ahead of the exam. Large private cram schools have also installed the dividers in their classrooms.