Two Different Scenes in a Class Ahead of CSAT

A tumultuous class: September 29 around 2:30 pm, “E” Girls High School in Seodaemun-gu.

All the classes of examinees for this year were taking their regular lessons. In a chemistry class, only ten students who chose this subject followed the lesson while the rest were self-studying.

The students in this school are taking regular lessons until 4:00 in the afternoon, and for those who wish to continue their studies after the regular hours, the school operates extra classes until 10:00 p.m. “I cannot concentrate on studying at home, and studying in hakwon (private education institute) is not the best solution for me, so I just stay late at school,” a student said, adding, “One out of four classmates is doing his study at school till a late hour.”

According to the survey at the Gangbuk area in Seoul and seven high schools in local cities, high school students in their last year are taking formal lessons until 4:00 p.m. and 20-100% of students, differing by school policies, are continuing to study by themselves until late into the night.

A teacher counseling for college entrance in “Y” high school in Busan said, “Parents of the students prefer their child to stay late in school.”

Different opinion: Regarding the issue, high school teachers of Gangnam area in Seoul stressed, “Shortened school hours is the school’s consideration in order to let students have a better choice to prepare for College Scholastic Ability Test.” They added, “Reality should be considered as it is.”

On the other side, Song Hwan-woon, a vice-chairman of Parents’ Association for True Education said, “Most of the high schools in Gangnam area that are especially dependent on private education have difficulties in operating formal lessons from the second grade.” Song criticized that schools are to blame for encouraging private education by adopting “shortened school hours.”

Meanwhile, the Education Department of Seoul announced, “Shortened school hours is apparently illegal and is out of director’s discretion, and we will take measures against it.”