Written Exams Scheduled Right After Chuseok... When Can Students Rest?

Consecutive Joint Assessment and Written Exams Right After Chuseok
"Schedules Exclude Students... Adjustment by Education Office Needed"

It has been revealed that some high schools in the Gwangju area are planning to hold written exams and the Nationwide Joint Academic Assessment immediately after the Chuseok holiday in the 2025 academic year. An education civic group has demanded corrective action from the Gwangju Office of Education, stating that "it is not educationally desirable for students to be pushed into extreme academic stress right before the holiday."

On the 11th, when the July Nationwide Joint Academic Assessment for the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test preparation was conducted, examinees were preparing for the exam at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

On the 20th, the civic group "Citizens' Coalition for a Society Without Academic Hierarchy" announced, "After a comprehensive survey of the 2025 curriculum operation plans of high schools in Gwangju, we found that a total of 17 schools are scheduled to conduct written exams immediately after the Chuseok holiday. Among them, three general high schools are planning to hold both the Nationwide Joint Academic Assessment and written exams consecutively."

This year's Chuseok holiday, combined with National Foundation Day on October 3, the weekend, the days before and after Chuseok, and Hangeul Day on October 9, could result in a long holiday of up to 10 days if Friday, October 10, is designated as a temporary holiday. However, as some schools are scheduling exams immediately after this extended break, students are unable to escape academic pressure even during the holiday period.

The Citizens' Coalition for a Society Without Academic Hierarchy pointed out, "It is neither educationally nor emotionally desirable for students to experience anxiety and stress from exam preparation at a time when they should be resting and spending time with their families during the holiday. In particular, if the Nationwide Joint Academic Assessment and written exams are held consecutively, excessive pressure could lead to reduced academic focus and pose serious risks to students' right to health and learning."

The group further criticized, "The fundamental reason for such scheduling is that students' opinions are not reflected at all in the process of determining the academic calendar. The current structure, which prevents students from participating in official decision-making bodies such as the School Steering Committee, demonstrates the still immature reality of educational democracy."

They added, "Schools should not continue the practice of scheduling exams immediately after long holidays for the sake of academic improvement, and the Office of Education should not neglect this issue under the pretext of school autonomy. This is a matter of educational philosophy and raises the question of what foundation we are using to protect students' health and learning."

The group urged, "We call on the relevant schools to adjust their academic schedules, and we demand that the Gwangju Office of Education recommend to all schools that written exams should not be held immediately after holidays such as Chuseok."