Education Officials Discuss Future College Admission System

Calls to move away from the current college entrance exam, which relies on multiple-choice questions, and the relative grading system have emerged in the education sector. To cultivate creative talents who will lead in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the National Education Commission has begun nationwide discussions on the direction of future college admission systems, including the introduction of written assessments.
 
On August 11, the National Education Commission, in collaboration with the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, held a field discussion titled 'Envisioning the Future College Admission System with the Public' at the Incheon Collaboration MICE Convention Center. The event, organized ahead of the establishment of a mid- to long-term national education development plan, attracted over 100 local students, parents, and educators for in-depth discussions.
 
In her opening remarks, Chairperson Cha Jeong-in emphasized, "In this transformative era where AI technology is advancing rapidly, what students need is not rote memorization but a spirit of inquiry and creativity that encourages deep thinking and questioning. We must gather wisdom on whether the current college admission system is sufficient to prepare for the future society and what the key directions for improvement should be."
 
Incheon Superintendent of Education Do Seong-hoon stated, "We need to nurture 'living inquirers' who can express their thoughts in their own words rather than simply accumulating knowledge. While AI can assist in exploration, the final judgment must be made by humans. The Incheon Education Office is promoting 'Reading, Walking, Writing (RWW) AI' education as a core policy to achieve this."

In the first part of the discussion, critical insights into the contradictions of the current college admission system and directions for reform were presented. Kim Dong-jin, a member of the National Education Commission's Special Committee on College Admission Systems and a teacher at Dongsan High School, stated in his presentation on 'Directions for College Admission Systems to Prepare for Future Society,' "Our children have been training for 12 years to identify incorrect answers in multiple-choice questions that AI can solve in one second. The current college entrance exam, which requires solving math problems in 3 minutes and 20 seconds and other subjects in 1 minute and 30 seconds, cannot accurately measure true thinking ability."
 
He continued, "While the current curriculum emphasizes creative thinking, the grading system is based on relative evaluation, and the entrance exam consists of high-difficulty multiple-choice questions, creating a serious misalignment. We need a 'careful revision' centered on the professionalism of educators, based on sufficient preparation to avoid chaos from a rush for short-term results."

In the subsequent presentation, Lee Min-seok, a member of the National AI Strategy Committee's Education and Talent Division, outlined a vision for 'AI-based written assessments.' He noted, "The majority of students, parents, and teachers strongly desire improvements to answer-focused evaluations and the expansion of process- and inquiry-based written assessments. AI technology can address the time, cost, and reliability issues that have previously hindered the full implementation of written assessments."
 
He clarified concerns about technology, stating, "AI is merely a tool for creating draft scoring criteria; the final score determination and authority rest entirely with the teachers. By alleviating the substantial grading burden, teachers will transform into 'growth coaches' who can identify individual students' weaknesses and provide tailored feedback."
 
Following the presentations, small group discussions took place. All participants reviewed the appropriateness of the current evaluation system in preparing for future society and discussed the core direction of the college admission system. Notably, professional facilitators were involved to assist in smooth discussions and consensus-building.
 
The National Education Commission plans to continue these field discussions, starting with the Incheon event, followed by sessions in Jeonnam and Gwangju on August 20 and in Daegu on August 26. The reform proposals for the college admission system, developed through these discussions and public participation committees, will be finalized in the mid- to long-term national education development plan to be announced in March next year.