[What Do You Think?] Seoul National University Professors' Meeting Proposes 'Education Reform'

Selecting Students Without Departmental Boundaries
Joint Degrees with Regional National Universities
Plan to Hold the CSAT Three to Four Times a Year

① Selecting students in universities without boundaries between departments, allowing admission without a declared major ② Even students attending regional national universities can take classes at Seoul National University and receive a 'joint diploma' ③ The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) to be held 3 to 4 times a year...

These are the main points of the 'Proposal for Education Reform in the Republic of Korea' released on the 14th by the Seoul National University Professors' Association, which consists of over 2,300 professors affiliated with Seoul National University. The association stated that they took action out of an urgent belief that designing the nation's future is impossible without solving educational issues. This is the first time the Seoul National University Professors' Association has presented an education policy reform plan, and it is gaining broad sympathy from the education sector and others.

Seoul National University Main Gate, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

◆ Moving Away from Ranking-Based Education

The fundamental philosophy of the professors' association reform plan is to move away from hierarchical education that emphasizes performance and entrance exams and policies that focus solely on excellence.

First, a concrete proposal to abolish hierarchy is the 'joint degree system.' It suggests that students attending regional national universities not only share classes and advisors with Seoul National University but also receive a 'joint degree' upon graduation. This aims to minimize the negative effects caused by university hierarchy.

The professors also proposed expanding 'undecided majors.' Instead of selecting students by major at admission, students would enter the university without a declared major and choose their major after exploring options during their first year. Students would undergo an exploratory process in their freshman year and freely select their major in their sophomore year. The professors believe this can reduce cases of students failing after entering based solely on the university's name. For universities, it becomes easier to establish interdisciplinary majors.

Of course, this is not an easy task. A prerequisite is expanding each university's autonomy in admissions. The government has significantly expanded undecided major admissions since last year, increasing from 6.6% in 2024 to 28.6% in 2025, more than quadrupling. However, it is not popular among students.

According to an analysis by Jongno Academy of the competition rates for 10 major universities in 2025, the competition rates for undecided majors at six universities including Seoul National University, Korea University, Kyung Hee University, and Sungkyunkwan University were lower than the average competition rates of each university. The dropout rate in undecided major units is twice that of general departments. Students feel less belonging, and after admission, they flock to popular majors, but since placement is done by academic ranking, they end up competing again. This is why precise measures are necessary.

◆ The Problem Starts with Hierarchy in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools

The professors' association believes that hierarchy must be eliminated not only in universities but also in elementary, middle, and high schools. They argue that public education should be strengthened and private education burdens reduced through entrance exam reforms that discover aptitudes and suppress hierarchy. Hence, they proposed restructuring the school system into '6 years of elementary school - 6 years of secondary school (tentative name).'

This involves integrating middle and high schools and assigning students to departments based on individual aptitudes, with adjustments every two years. They suggested dividing the secondary education into an early stage (4 years) for aptitude discovery and a later stage (2 years) for university and social adaptation to cultivate customized talents. The professors said this would also alleviate corporate labor shortages and allow all students to avoid relying on private education.

The professors' association proposed holding the CSAT 3 to 4 times a year in the style of the U.S. SAT. They suggested reflecting the average or highest scores of multiple attempts in admissions and expanding subjects so students can choose and take exams in subjects that match their strengths and aptitudes, thereby broadening opportunities. They also proposed turning the CSAT into a 'qualification test.' They argued that the proportion of regular admissions, practical skills, and interviews should be left to each university. This aligns with the original intent when the CSAT was first created.

The CSAT was established in 1993 as a qualification test for university admission to prevent the drawbacks of the 'academic proficiency test,' which ranked students by memorization. However, it has been distorted into the sole exam determining university admission, causing students to be evaluated on their previous 12 years of education by a single annual test. The fact that private education expenses exceed 30 trillion won and the number of repeat test-takers increases every year is closely related to the CSAT.