New educational systems, namely the “High School Credit System” and “Five Grading Level System,” are set to be implemented starting in the year 2025.

In 2023, the Korean Ministry of Education introduced an upcoming change in high schools, bringing about significant differences compared to the past.

In the past, Korean students received grades for each subject based on the “Nine Grading Level System.”

Originally, there were nine grade levels functioning as the standards for students’ tests and overall grades, with evaluations solely based on this grading level system.

However, the system has changed, and the grading level standards have been reduced to only five, no longer nine.

Furthermore, students now need to earn credits for each subject studied to demonstrate their proficiency in a particular subject.

These innovative changes in high school educational systems are currently being implemented across more and more high schools.

These developments also impact Korea’s College Scholastic Ability Test, which assesses students’ potential university placements based on scores in subjects like Korean, math, English, science, and foreign languages.

With these changes affecting various aspects of the high school system, both students and parents have expressed concerns about numerous potential issues.

One of the major concerns is the increased preference for autonomous private high schools over public high schools.

This preference trend may result in public high school students facing challenges in gaining admission to prestigious colleges and universities, even if they work harder than some students from autonomous private high schools.

Additionally, students are now required to excel in two different curriculum options: liberal arts and natural sciences.

In the past, students could choose one curriculum track based on their interests when applying to colleges.

However, the implementation of the “High School Credit System” and “Five Grading Level System” now mandates proficiency in both pathways.

Other problems include the increased difficulty in distinguishing between high and low grades due to these new educational systems.

While the previous “Nine Grading Level System” made it easier for students to get higher grades, the reduction in grading levels has posed challenges in evaluating and assessing students based on their scores.

This shift has resulted in higher overall test difficulties, compared to exams in the past that featured a mix of extremely difficult and easy questions.

According to analyses of these new educational systems and their impacts, the radical changes in various aspects have the possibility of causing confusion and difficulty for students.

Meanwhile, some positive feedback exists, indicating that these new policies might be an improvement over the past educational systems in certain aspects.

Jooyoon Park 

Grade 9

Saint Johnsbury Academy Jeju