"Should I drop out as a 1st-year high school student born in 2009? The high school credit system requires me to decide my career path and choose subjects that match it. I don’t even know what my career path is…"

Recently, such posts have been continuously appearing in internet communities related to college entrance exams. Those born in 2009 and in their first year of high school are the first targets of the 2022 revised curriculum centered around the 'high school credit system.'

There are many cases since the beginning of the semester where students express that it is burdensome because they have to choose subjects and study for themselves like college students.

On Jun. 21, 2023, students are leaving a high school in downtown Seoul. The photo is not directly related to the article. /Courtesy of News1

◇ "Performances are so difficult... Do I have to prepare for a year?"

An A company, which has been providing counseling for those wishing to drop out and take the high school equivalency exam in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for 18 years, reports that their schedule is fully booked due to counseling requests from 1st-year high school students. A representative from the company noted, "It is unusual for 1st-year students to flock for counseling starting from March to April before even taking the midterm exam in the first semester, and the influence of the high school credit system is significant."

According to an analysis of counseling cases from A company, 1st-year high school students most frequently cited "the burden of performance assessments" as the reason for considering dropping out. With the implementation of the high school credit system, the grade interval has reduced from 9 levels to 5 levels. As the discrepancy in grades based on subjects has narrowed, the relative weight of performance assessments reflected in the school record (life record) has increased.

In addition, some high schools have significantly raised the standards for performance assessments. Reactions suggest that it is difficult to get good scores at a simple homework resolution level, and only at a high-level report standard can high points be obtained. A company representative stated, "There are quite a few students who would rather retake a year to develop the ability for performance assessments and re-enroll in high school, while many more students are opting to drop out completely and take the equivalency exam to go to college."

A student examines materials at a briefing session on the high school credit system and college entrance paths. /Courtesy of News1

◇ "It's hard to make friends because we have to move classrooms for each subject."

Starting from the 2nd year, where students focus on intensive learning of elective subjects, they also have to move classrooms each hour. Students used to stay in the same classroom while subject teachers came in order, but now, once a student finishes a class in one subject, they must move to another classroom for the next subject. This significantly reduces the opportunities for friends in the same class to socialize during breaks.

Park Mo (16), a student in the 1st year of high school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, said, "When I become a 2nd-year student, it will be more difficult to make friends because we will have to keep moving classrooms," and added, "There are many classes that require group collaboration, but I sometimes felt reluctant to go to school because I'm not used to this."

A 3rd-year student who experienced the high school credit system at a school that piloted it said, "I almost ran out of breath moving from one classroom to another during the 10-minute break," adding, "Honestly, I don’t even know who is in the same class as me."

A parent living in Gangnam, Seoul, said, "Today's high school students face numerous challenges in making friends due to online classes during middle school caused by COVID-19," and noted, "In high school, I will have to make friends with those from different middle schools, but moving classrooms due to the high school credit system doesn’t seem easy either."

Members of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations held a press conference declaring a struggle for the complete abolition of the Yoon Suk-yeol government's education reform in front of the Ministry of Education at the Government Sejong Complex in Sejong City on the 14th, demanding the withdrawal of the government's education policies, including the high school credit system, the Spring School, and AI digital textbooks. /Courtesy of News1

◇ Teachers launch a campaign to abolish the high school credit system.

Not only students and parents but also teachers are expressing dissatisfaction with the high school credit system. The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations and the National Teachers' Union have been collecting signatures for a campaign to abolish the high school credit system since the 21st.

The union stated, "Although the number of subjects has increased several times under the guise of guaranteeing students' elective subjects, the number of teachers has actually decreased due to declining school-age population," and added, "With this, numerous administrative tasks such as operating the joint curriculum, organizing timetables, and managing external linked classes have been added, leading schools to operate like small universities, but with absolutely insufficient personnel support and systems."

Accordingly, the Ministry of Education will hold explanatory meetings regarding the high school credit system in Busan on June 9 and in Sejong on July 16. This aims to seek understanding and agreement regarding the new system.