Kang Eunhee, Council Chair: "All Education Offices Agree on Absolute Grading and Essay/Descriptive Questions for CSAT"

Kang Eunhee Marks First Anniversary as Chairperson of the National Council of Education Superintendents

On September 1, Kang Eunhee, Superintendent of Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education and Chairperson of the National Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Superintendents of Education, announced that all 17 provincial and metropolitan education offices nationwide have reached a consensus on reforms to the college admissions system. These include implementing an absolute grading system for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), introducing essay and descriptive questions to the CSAT, and integrating the schedules for early and regular admissions into a unified system. Kang stated that this direction is also supported by Choi Gyojin, the Minister of Education nominee, and predicted that even if new superintendents take office in each region, the overall approach is unlikely to change significantly. She also projected that these changes could be reflected as early as the 2032 college admissions cycle.

At a press conference marking her first anniversary as chairperson, held at the conference room of the National Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Superintendents of Education in Sejong City, Kang said, "All provincial and metropolitan education offices have agreed on absolute grading for the CSAT, essay and descriptive assessments, and the simultaneous administration of early and regular admissions. We have conveyed this to the Presidential Policy Planning Committee and the National Education Commission as well."

In July, the council delivered four major educational policy proposals to the new government: reforming the high school-university linked admissions system, establishing cooperative governance among the central government, local governments, and education offices, ensuring stable local education finances, and transferring authority over teacher staffing and establishing systems to protect teachers' rights.

Regarding the reform of the high school-university linked admissions system, the council proposed converting the CSAT to an absolute grading system and introducing essay and descriptive questions. They also suggested implementing an integrated admissions process for early and regular admissions to reduce the burden on students, and expanding performance-based assessments in school records to strengthen process-oriented evaluation.

Kang stated, "If we start preparing now, these changes can be reflected in the 2032 revised curriculum." She added, "Within the Ministry of Education, preparations for an essay and descriptive assessment system are already underway. In the case of the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education, we have commissioned a system where AI supports the initial assessment, followed by first, second, and third rounds of grading by teachers." She emphasized, "Even if a new superintendent takes office, it will be difficult to avoid essay and descriptive assessments, as they are essential for developing students' critical thinking skills in both education and evaluation."

When asked whether Choi Gyojin, the Minister of Education nominee, also agreed with this direction as a superintendent, Kang replied, "Yes."

Regarding the recently controversial high school credit system, Kang said, "There are no opinions within the provincial and metropolitan education offices in favor of abolishing it." She explained, "There are areas that need improvement for continued implementation," and mentioned that discussions are ongoing regarding attendance and the minimum achievement guarantee system. Under the high school credit system, students must attend at least two-thirds of classes and achieve a minimum academic performance rate of 40% to earn credit. If they fail to reach the minimum achievement level, they must receive supplementary guidance to address learning gaps. However, there has been criticism that this leads to an excessive focus on simply fulfilling credit requirements.

Kang said, "Regarding attendance, the system has been improved so that both homeroom and subject teachers verify attendance. For the minimum achievement guarantee, discussions will be finalized this week between the provincial and metropolitan superintendents and the Ministry of Education."

On the allocation of next year's local education financial grants, which have been set at approximately 82 trillion won, Kang commented, "Compared to this year, increases in personnel expenses and inflation have not been reflected, so in reality, the budget has been reduced, which will make it somewhat difficult to manage local education finances." She added, "Every year, personnel expenses alone increase by about 2.5 trillion won, but this has not been reflected this year. Each provincial and metropolitan education office will face difficulties when setting next year's budget." She also pointed out, "The key issue in finance is the reduction in the number of classes. Although the school-age population has decreased, the number of classes has hardly been reduced."

Kang noted, "In middle and high schools, the number of students has actually increased temporarily starting this year, while in kindergartens and elementary schools, the number of classes is decreasing, but not drastically. It is necessary to closely examine local education finances and implement mid- to long-term plans."