"The More Meritocracy Is Emphasized, the More Unfair Society Becomes" [How Is Your Dream Doing?]

Professor Park Nam-gi, Gwangju National University of Education

Education experts view the academic achievement gap not as a result of individual ability or lack of effort. Rather, they see it as being more heavily influenced by factors such as parents' economic status, educational background, and residential area. This tendency to be passed down through generations becomes even stronger over time. The standardized college entrance system fails to accurately measure each student's actual abilities. Since education serves as a gateway connected to economic capabilities like employment and entrepreneurship, comprehensive social improvement is necessary.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Professor Park Namgi of Gwangju National University of Education stated, "I believe that perfectly implementing meritocracy would lead to a fairer society, but in fact, the opposite is true," and diagnosed, "A meritocratic society carries factors that meritocracy itself denies." Professor Park explained, "Unless it is a socialist country, the next generation inherits not only individual ability but also the wealth of their parents," adding, "After just one generation, the portion of success based purely on individual will is not large."

In the early stages of a meritocratic society, individuals may stand out based solely on their own abilities. However, over time, the inheritance of wealth continues, and various factors such as parental background make it impossible to fairly assess an individual's ability. Professor Park diagnosed that Korean society has already reached such a situation. This outcome is also proven by data. According to the analysis of the 2020 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scores released by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, students from metropolitan areas had higher standardized scores in both Korean and Mathematics subjects. The proportion of students in the top 1st and 2nd grades was highest in metropolitan areas, while the proportion in the 8th and 9th grades was lowest in metropolitan areas.

Namgi Park, Professor at Gwangju National University of Education. Career: Professor at Gwangju National University of Education (former president), former president of the Korean Educational Administration Society, former president of the Korean Educational Law Society, former president of the Korean Teacher Education Society. Publications: "Betrayal of Ability," "Is Ability Really a Fair Standard?," "Minimal Teaching Methods," "Post-Corona," and over 10 other books and more than 100 papers.

To ensure fairness, Professor Park suggested that universities should separately admit a significant number of students who lack the innate elements required for ability when selecting students. Examples include regional balanced admissions and special admissions for socially disadvantaged groups. In India, where the caste system is entrenched, up to 50% of admissions in engineering and medical schools are reserved for socially disadvantaged candidates. Professor Park argued, "If a student is recognized as having the ability to study at Seoul National University, freshmen should be selected by lottery," and added, "When it comes to employment, it is necessary to set an upper limit on the acceptance rate from a single university and have them compete fiercely among themselves."