In this blog post, we will look at how the abolition of special-purpose high schools and independent private schools and the conversion to regular high schools will affect the fairness and equity of education.

 

The concept of special-purpose high schools and independent private schools

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the abolition of special purpose high schools (SPHs) and independent private high schools. The issue of the abolition of these schools has actually been a topic of discussion for a long time. In this blog post, I will discuss the maintenance and abolition of SPHs, foreign language high schools, and independent private high schools. Before that, I will look at the characteristics of these schools and the main points of each of the arguments currently being debated.
First, let me introduce the characteristics of each school.
Specialized high schools are abbreviations for special purpose high schools, which are high schools that are operated for the purpose of providing specialized education in specific fields such as science, art, and physical education. In 1998, the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was enacted, and such special purpose high schools were institutionally established. Specialized high schools for the gifted and talented implement gifted education to discover students with talent in specific fields such as science, foreign languages, arts, and sports at an early age and develop their creativity. They also aim to train professionals in the national key industries such as industry, agriculture, marine, and fisheries.
Specialized high schools for the gifted and talented are divided into gifted and talented and national key industries, and the gifted and talented schools are allowed to operate a different curriculum and student selection method than general high schools. However, some special purpose high schools, such as science and foreign language high schools, have focused on preparing for college entrance exams rather than developing creativity, and as a result, their autonomy has been restricted. There have also been calls for institutional improvements in gifted education, and the 2000 Promotion of Gifted Education Act allowed the establishment of gifted schools, and in 2003, Busan Science High School was converted into a gifted school and has been operating as such ever since. Specialized high schools in the national key industries were promoted to diversify technical high schools, and the government is supposed to support the human resources development sector in accordance with the 2000 measures to foster technical high schools. Foreign language high schools focus on foreign language education among the special high schools, and students learn mainly in English and choose a foreign language as a minor.
Autonomous private high schools (JAIS) are schools that allow private schools to autonomously operate their curriculum and academic affairs in accordance with their founding philosophy. They were introduced in 2010 during the Lee Myung-bak administration and are operated without government support through tuition and foundation transfers, and tuition can be charged up to three times the level of regular high schools. The designation of a private school as a special-purpose school is decided by the superintendent of education in consultation with the Minister of Education, and the school is evaluated every five years to determine whether it should be re-designated. In accordance with the ‘High School Diversification 300 Project’ and the revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the government sought to foster creative talent and meet the diverse educational needs of students and parents by allowing private schools to autonomously operate their curriculum in accordance with their founding philosophy.

 

Controversy over the abolition of special purpose high schools and independent private high schools

There is a strong controversy over the abolition of special purpose high schools and independent private high schools. In response, the government announced in 2019 that it would convert foreign language high schools, international high schools, and independent private high schools into general high schools starting in 2025. The Ministry of Education plans to convert 79 independent private high schools and special purpose high schools, including foreign language high schools and international high schools, into general high schools while fully introducing the high school credit system. However, the gifted schools, science high schools, arts high schools, and physical education high schools will be maintained. If the special-purpose high schools and foreign language high schools are converted into general high schools, the school name will be maintained and a specialized curriculum can be operated, but the school will lose the right to select students and will be changed to a system where students apply and are assigned like regular students. The Ministry of Education will provide 1 billion won over three years to support the conversion of special purpose high schools and special purpose high schools to general high schools, and will change the scope of student recruitment for national special purpose high schools and general high schools to city and provincial levels.
The government has decided to convert special purpose high schools, foreign language high schools, and international high schools to general high schools in order to ensure fairness in admissions, as it believes that they deepen private education and lead to educational inequality based on parents’ income. On the other hand, there are concerns that the abolition of special-purpose high schools and special-purpose high schools may promote the revival of the “Gangnam 8 School District.” However, experts draw a line, saying that the impact of the high school system reorganization on real estate is only a psychological concern. In a national opinion poll, 51.3% of respondents were in favor of the conversion, while 40.6% were opposed, with the former opinion prevailing, but the controversy continues.

 

Opinions for and against the abolition of special purpose high schools and independent private schools

The supporters of the abolition argue that special purpose high schools and independent private schools hinder social integration through education and lead to educational inequality. They point out that the real reason why independent private schools strengthen their college preparation education is to select the best students, and that the high tuition fees of independent private schools deepen educational inequality. Another problem is that the existence of special-purpose private schools leads to the ranking of high schools, which in turn causes the slumification of general high schools.
On the other hand, those who oppose the abolition argue that special-purpose private schools and special-purpose high schools should be maintained because they complement the policy of equalizing high schools and expand students’ school choice options. There is also an opinion that special-purpose private schools strengthen public education, making students proud of their schools and guaranteeing the autonomy of private schools. In addition, the idea that private schools are elitist schools is a prejudice, and the position is that they contribute to compensating for the downward standardization that has occurred due to the standardization of high schools.

 

Analysis of the pros and cons of each school type

The pros and cons of each type of high school are important factors for middle school students and their parents to consider when preparing for college entrance exams. Specialized high schools are given autonomy in curriculum design, allowing them to offer a variety of programs, and while they may be more difficult to manage than regular high schools, they are considered to be advantageous for preparing for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).
Specialized high schools are the type of school with the most freedom in curriculum, allowing for student-tailored classes and various programs. Even if a student’s career path changes, flexible learning is possible, and special purpose high schools and specialized high schools generally have favorable conditions for the National Student Assessment thanks to their excellent faculty and autonomous curriculum.

 

Conclusion

The controversy over the abolition of special-purpose and selective high schools, which is one of the issues in Korean society, is still hot. Due to the intensified competition for college entrance, middle school students are under a lot of pressure, and students are suffering from excessive competition due to the perception that privileged schools are advantageous for college entrance. In particular, although these privileged schools claim to be diverse, it cannot be denied that they are in fact established as prestigious colleges for college entrance. The impact of economic conditions on the education system is significant, and this calls for reflection on the role of education in pursuing fairness.
The government has announced a policy to convert special-purpose and special-purpose high schools into general high schools starting in 2025, and there are sharply divided opinions on this. I hope that we can coordinate these positions and become a society where all students can receive an education fairly.