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| ▲ Education Minister Lee Ju-ho gives a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul on June 15, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Yoon-college exam
(LEAD) Yoon says material not covered by public education should be excluded from college entrance exam
(ATTN: CHANGES Yoon's remarks, headline per correction issued by presidential office)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the education minister Thursday to exclude material that is not covered by public education from the annual college entrance exam, his office said.
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho received the instruction while briefing Yoon on education reforms, one of the top three reforms pushed by the administration, along with labor and pensions.
"It's hard to stop people from resorting to private education in order to supplement what they learn at school when it comes to material covered by public education," Yoon said, according to his office.
"But if they are required to have excessive background information or if problems are set in the college entrance exam relating to material not covered by public education, such as nonliterary questions at the college major level, isn't that asking them to completely rely on private education? Are the education authorities and private education industry on one side?" he added.
Yoon instructed the government to come up with ways to reduce private education expenses, citing their recent increase, Lee said during a press briefing at the presidential office.
The state-administered college entrance exam, or the College Scholastic Ability Test, is one of the nation's most important academic events, during which airplane takeoffs and landings are banned nationwide for the English listening portion.
Yoon also called for college reforms, saying the government, businesses and educational bodies should work as one to foster talents equipped for a rapidly-changing digital society, according to Lee.
In particular, the president stressed the need to break down "barriers" between colleges and instructed the minister to provide full support to innovative colleges that "break barriers."
On childcare services, Yoon called for transferring all related work handled by the welfare ministry to the education ministry, saying the aim should be to provide world-class childcare and education for young children.
He also called for strengthening Korean language education for children from immigrant backgrounds to ensure they are not discriminated against for their lack of Korean skills.
(END)
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