Fate of Three Nos

Universities Seek More Freedom in Selecting Students

The state-controlled college admissions policy is expected to undergo radical changes in line with President Lee Myung-bak's stress on competitive education. On Sunday, Park Chong-yul, secretary general of the Korean Council for University Education, said universities would be given more freedom to recruit freshman students. His remarks are seen as expressing universities' intention to scrap at least two of ``three nos" imposed on student admissions over the last 10 years.

Universities have long been at loggerheads with the government over the strict regulations. Under the rule of former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, they had tried in vain to scrap the three nos ― no high school rankings, no entrance exams administered by each university, and no acceptance of students in return for financial donations. Now, they have a rare opportunity to enjoy autonomy in selecting students with President Lee's market-oriented education policy of promoting competition among students.

In this regard, Park of the university council is taking the lead in laying the groundwork for the abolition of the government bans. He said universities would be given more freedom to select students according to their own guidelines. Park added that schools are close to reaching an agreement removing the bans on high school rankings and university entrance exams. They will consider allowing donations on a gradual basis.

The council is scheduled to announce its policy recommendations on the lifting of the bans on Jan. 15 after conducting a study and reflecting different opinions. However, it is disappointing that Park has given the impression that the council has set its stance against the bans before the anticipated recommendations. He claimed that there is growing consensus on scrapping two of the bans ― except donations for admissions ― since no problems would arise from the liberalization.

But we have to realize that students, parents, teachers and policymakers have yet to build a consensus on this important issue. The previous governments enforced the three bans in order to reduce soaring spending on private tutoring and ease excessive competition for college entrance. However, the council wants to repeal the bans from 2013 in order to admit smarter students.

But the scrapping will inevitably lead to a breakdown of the ``standardization'' of high schools under the egalitarian education policy of more than three decades. Voices are growing for an overhaul of this standardization, which critics argue can no longer be tenable in an information society of the 21st century. The Lee administration and universities are required to take the appropriate action to raise the issue of the bans and reflect opinions from all walks of life. More important is that students, parents and teachers should be the main players in this process.

All the past governments frequently changed the admissions policy and the college entrance exam system under the name of education reform. But they failed to set policies or systems to better meet students' needs. Education is a long-term plan to cultivate creative human beings to lead the country forward. It should no longer protect the self-interests of universities or promote a boom for cram schools at the sacrifice of students.