More than half of the public participation committee members support the introduction of written and essay evaluations in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). However, after a two-day in-depth discussion, the proportion of support slightly decreased, while opposition increased. Concerns about grading fairness and the expansion of private education have been raised, indicating that a concrete roadmap and adequate preparation are necessary for implementing the system.
The National Education Commission held its 10th meeting on September 17 at the Government Seoul Building, where it reported the results of the public participation committee's deliberation on college entrance exam systems to prepare for future society. The commission conducted deliberative discussions with 180 participants, including students, parents, educators, and general citizens, from August 29 to 30, and analyzed changes in opinions through surveys conducted before and after the discussions.
According to the commission's report, 55.5% of the participants indicated that the introduction of written and essay evaluations is 'necessary' (very necessary + necessary) after the discussions. In contrast, 41.7% responded that it is 'not necessary' (not at all necessary + not necessary).
There were notable differences in responses based on age and profession. Support for the introduction increased among high school students and university stakeholders, while the necessity decreased among middle-aged individuals (ages 40-60) and parents of elementary, middle, and high school students. Particularly, the rise in opposition among parents and educators, who are directly affected, is noteworthy.
A significant feature of this survey is the change in public opinion before and after the deliberation process. Prior to the discussions, support for the introduction of written and essay evaluations was at 58.3%, but it dropped to 55.5% after intense discussions, a decrease of 2.8 percentage points. Conversely, the percentage of those who deemed it unnecessary rose from 37.8% before the discussions to 41.7% afterward, an increase of 3.9 percentage points.
This shift in opinion suggests that while there is agreement on the need for the system, the practical barriers to reliable grading and implementation became more apparent during the discussions.
Participants identified 'concerns about grading fairness' (48.3%) as the primary worry regarding the introduction of written and essay evaluations. This was followed by 'concerns about the expansion of private education' (13.9%) and 'concerns that preparation through school education would be difficult' (13.9%).
Among the 75 committee members who opposed the introduction, 40 (22.2%) called for a cautious approach, suggesting 'partial introduction,' 'less than 40% of questions in this format,' or 'introduction after the 2037 academic year.'
Support for expanding written and essay questions in high school internal assessments (midterm and final exams) also saw a slight decrease after the discussions. The percentage of those who deemed it 'necessary' dropped from 76.1% before the discussions to 72.8% afterward, a decrease of 3.3 percentage points, while those who found it 'unnecessary' increased from 21.7% to 22.8%, an increase of 1.1 percentage points.
Committee members identified the most critical preparations needed for the successful implementation of written and essay evaluations in high school internal assessments as 'establishing a response system for appeals to schools and education offices' (4.69 out of 5) and 'providing grading criteria and systematizing the appeal process' (4.65).
For the CSAT, they highlighted 'disclosure of grading criteria and establishment of an appeal process' (4.59) and 'developing questions that align with the school curriculum' (4.55) as key tasks, emphasizing that building a fair and transparent evaluation system is a prerequisite.
Chairman Cha Jeong-in of the National Education Commission stated, 'We will do our best to listen to the public's opinions through various deliberative processes on the college entrance exam system, which is of great social interest, and to create policies based on social consensus.'
Meanwhile, the National Education Commission plans to continue public discussions on specific issues based on these deliberation results and analyze the outcomes of on-site discussions and online feedback to report to the main committee in October.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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