Yoon: "CSAT Questions on Subjects Outside Public Education Are a Cartel"

Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho Reports Education Reform to Yoon
Yoon Orders Trilateral Change Among Government, Corporations, and Educational Institutions
"Excessive Knowledge Demands... Implies Reliance on Private Education"

President Yoon Suk-yeol said on the 15th, "If problems that are not covered in the public education curriculum are included in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), isn't that telling students to rely on private education?" He pointed out that "this is a cartel between the education authorities and the private education industry." The government has instructed measures to reduce private education expenses, essentially directing that exam questions should be designed so that students can solve them by following only school lessons.

President Yoon received a report on the progress of education reform from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning, and gave these instructions, according to Kim Eun-hye, the chief spokesperson.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 13th, President Yoon emphasized "education reform," one of the national agenda items, at a Cabinet meeting, stating, "We must not neglect nurturing the country's future growth engines." At that time, President Yoon urged, "Higher education institutions such as universities must transform innovatively," and added, "We need to break down the walls between individual departments and majors, and foster convergence-type talents through linkage and cooperation across various academic fields."

The report given by the Minister of Education to President Yoon that day also included ▲ progress on breaking down walls inside and outside universities for university reform ▲ plans to unify the management system for early childhood education and care ▲ measures to revitalize Korean language education, among others.

Separately from Minister Lee’s report, President Yoon issued instructions regarding the CSAT. He said, "It is difficult to prevent students from seeking private education to supplement what they learn at school regarding content covered in public education," but criticized, "If the CSAT includes questions that require excessive background knowledge or non-literary questions at the level of university majors that are not covered in the public education curriculum, isn't that essentially telling students to rely on private education?" In particular, President Yoon pointedly remarked, "Are the education authorities and the private education industry acting as one (a cartel)?"

He instructed a tripartite response involving the government, companies, and educational institutions, and also urged support for innovative universities. President Yoon said, "Education must innovate and transform in line with economic and industrial demands," and added, "Universities, as suppliers, must respond flexibly so that education consumers can learn what they want to learn." He further stated, "The government, companies, and educational institutions must become a trinity," and ordered, "Fully support innovative universities that break down walls inside and outside universities." This reflects the judgment that not only companies but also the government and educational institutions must innovate together to cultivate talents suited for the rapidly changing digital society.

Additionally, a message about strengthening the early childhood care system was revealed. President Yoon told Minister Lee, "Aim for world-class early childhood education and care," and instructed, "To this end, unify the management system under the Ministry of Education and cooperate with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to complete the integration of kindergartens and daycare centers that the public can feel."