Daechi-dong Mother Reveals Daily Life of 4th Grade Son
Netizens "Child Abuse" vs "What's Wrong with Studying?"
Medical School Expansion Confirmed, Record High Retake Exam Participation
As the government decided to increase the number of medical school admissions, intensifying conflicts between the medical community and the government, interest in medical school preparation classes for kindergarten and elementary school students has also risen. Amid this, the daily routine of an elementary school student in Daechi-dong, Seoul, became a hot topic, sparking heated debates among netizens.
On the 25th of last month, a post titled "A Day in the Life of an Elementary School Student in Daechi-dong" was uploaded on social media. The author, Mr. A, who sends his child to an academy located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, shared the daily life of his son, who is currently in the 4th grade of elementary school. Daechi-dong is known as the center of the top school districts in South Korea.
Mr. A explained, "At the math academy in Daechi-dong, which he attends twice a week, they assign 80 homework problems per class," adding, "It takes until around 1 a.m. to finish all the homework." In the photos Mr. A shared, a boy is seen sitting at a desk late at night, working on problem sheets. Another photo confirms that the picture was taken close to 1 a.m. Mr. A also added, "He is only in the 4th grade of elementary school," and expressed, "I am proud of and respect my son."
As this post sparked controversy, sharp opinions clashed among netizens. Mr. B, a netizen who is a practicing doctor, expressed concern about exposing such a young child to private education, saying, "My mother, having studied herself, let me play outside as much as possible when I was young. Since I was physically strong and liked reading, I naturally wanted to study and enjoyed it in middle and high school." Other netizens commented, "If a 4th grader goes to bed at 1 a.m., I worry that the important period for physical development might be missed rather than any positive effects from studying," "Too much is worse than not enough," and "I feel sorry for the child."
In response to these comments, Mr. A clarified, "There seems to be a misunderstanding. He does this on his own while both mom and dad are asleep," and corrected, "Actually, many students fail to complete all their homework at the academy."
Additionally, some netizens responded, "Most kids don’t do it even if they are told to; you must be blessed," "I hope he studies hard and becomes a great person," "Seeing such academic passion already, he seems destined to be outstanding," "I envy having a child like that," and "What’s the problem if a parent wants to send their child to an academy?"
Following Medical School Admission Increase Confirmation... Record High Number of Repeat Test Takers in June Mock Exam
South Korea’s intense academic zeal has been a topic of discussion multiple times. Recently, as the government expanded medical school admissions, the number of repeat test takers (N-su students) participating in the June mock exam, known as the 'rehearsal' for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), reached an all-time high.
The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation announced that the 2025 CSAT mock exam will be held simultaneously at 2,114 high schools (including education offices) and 502 designated academies nationwide starting at 8:40 a.m. on the 4th. The applicant ratio was ▲current high school students (385,435; 81.3%) ▲graduates (88,698; 18.7%). The number of graduates increased by 398 compared to last year, marking the highest rate (19%) since the 2011 academic year. Although the number of current students increased by more than 10,000 this year, lowering the graduate and other test takers’ ratio by 0.3 percentage points, the absolute number is the highest since official statistics began in 2011.
Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, pointed out, "Since the number of 2023 high school seniors graduating this year decreased by more than 36,000 compared to the previous year, the increase in repeat test takers is unusual," adding, "The issue of expanding medical school admissions has already influenced repeat test takers since last year."
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