Classes with a Student-Teacher Ratio of 5 to 1
"Fostering Future Talent by Raising Basic Mathematics Proficiency"
Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, announced on May 8 that he would make it mandatory for all students from fourth grade in elementary school to third grade in middle school to take a nationwide mathematics achievement assessment every year.
On this day, through a policy briefing, Lee stated, "To establish a public mathematics education system in which no one is left behind and everyone can achieve, we will implement a 'National Responsibility System for Mathematics Education.'" He explained that the purpose of this pledge is "to establish public mathematics education and prevent so-called 'Supoja' (students who give up on mathematics)."
The Reform New Party's election campaign committee, citing data from the Ministry of Education's National Assessment of Educational Achievement, pointed out that the proportion of students at Achievement Level 1 (below basic academic proficiency) has been steadily increasing across subjects, and in particular, it is estimated that one out of every six second-year high school students falls below the basic proficiency level in mathematics.
Lee explained, "Mathematics is a subject with a strong sequential structure, making it difficult to progress to the next stage without a sufficient understanding of previous material." He added, "As students advance to higher grades, the number of so-called 'Supoja'?students who give up on mathematics?increases to about twice the level seen in other major subjects."
Presidential Candidate Lee Junseok Holds Meeting at KAIST(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Kang Suhwan = On the afternoon of May 7, presidential candidate Lee Junseok of the Reform New Party held a "2030 Field Listening" meeting with students at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Yuseong District, Daejeon. 2025.5.7
Photo by Kang Suhwan
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The 'National Responsibility System for Mathematics Education' envisioned by Lee includes: ▲ conducting an annual nationwide mathematics achievement assessment for students from fourth grade in elementary school to third grade in middle school; ▲ implementing differentiated classes based on assessment results; and ▲ assigning mathematics specialist assistant teachers to achieve a student-teacher ratio of one teacher for every five students.
Specifically, the plan is to make it mandatory for all upper-grade elementary and all middle school students to take a nationwide mathematics achievement assessment once a year, so that individual academic achievement levels can be checked nationwide. This will be conducted in the form of a standardized test.
In addition, based on the results of the achievement assessment, each school will conduct classes according to the individual achievement levels of students, organizing small, differentiated groups and deploying multiple assistant teachers in classrooms or conducting mobile classes. If a certain percentage or more of students in a school fall below the basic proficiency level, the student-teacher ratio will be increased to a maximum of 5 to 1, in order to reduce disparities between schools and regions.
Lee emphasized, "We will prevent the mass production of mathematics dropouts by providing customized education tailored to each student's level, and we will lay the foundation for cultivating future talent by raising basic proficiency in mathematics education."
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