In South Korea, specialty schools and jasago are schools that focus on specific areas of education, and have gained popularity due to their autonomous curriculum and excellent track record of placement. However, the government believes that these schools contribute to educational inequality and dependence on private education, and plans to convert them to regular schools starting in 2025.
The concept of specialty schools and self-sustaining private schools
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about abolishing specialty schools and independent private schools. The issue of abolishing these schools has been discussed for a long time. In this blog post, we’re going to discuss the existence and abolition of specialty schools, foreign language schools, and independent schools. Before doing so, let’s take a look at the characteristics of these schools and the main points of the current debate.
First, let’s look at the characteristics of each of these schools.
Specialized high schools, short for special purpose high schools, are high schools that are operated for the purpose of specialized education in specific fields such as science, art, and sports. In 1998, the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was enacted, and these special-purpose high schools were institutionalized. Special high schools provide gifted and talented education to develop creativity by identifying students with talents in specific fields such as science, foreign languages, performing arts, and international affairs at an early age, and also aim to train specialized personnel in national key industries such as industry, agriculture, marine, and fisheries.
Specialized high schools are divided into gifted and special talents and national key industries, and special high schools in the gifted category are allowed to operate different curricula and student selection methods than general high schools. However, some special high schools, such as science and foreign language schools, have become focused on preparing students for college entrance exams rather than developing creativity, which has limited their autonomy. In 2000, the Promotion of Gifted and Talented Education Act was promulgated, allowing gifted and talented schools to be established, and in 2003, Busan Science High School was converted into a gifted and talented school. Specialized high schools in key industries were promoted to diversify the number of high schools in the real industry, and the 2000 Act on Fostering High Schools in the Real Industry requires the government to support the training of human resources. Foreign language high schools focus on foreign language education among specialty high schools, and students study mainly in English and choose a foreign language as a minor.
Autonomous private high schools (jasago) are schools that allow private schools to autonomously conduct curriculum and academic operations in accordance with their founding philosophy. Introduced in 2010 during the Lee Myung-bak administration, they are funded by tuition and foundation donations without government support, and tuition can be up to three times that of regular schools. The designation is determined by the minister of education in consultation with the minister of education, and the schools are evaluated every five years to determine whether they should be re-designated. The ‘High School Diversification 300 Project’ and the amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act allow private schools to autonomously operate their curriculum in accordance with their founding philosophy to foster creative talent and meet the diverse educational needs of students and parents.
Controversy over the Abolition of Specialized and Self-Supporting Private Schools
The abolition of specialty schools and independent private schools is highly controversial. In 2019, the government announced that foreign language high schools, international high schools, and independent schools would be converted to general high schools from 2025. The Ministry of Education plans to convert 79 foreign language high schools and international high schools, which are specialized high schools, to general high schools while fully introducing the high school credit system. However, gifted and talented schools, science, art, and physical education schools will remain. The schools will be able to keep their names and operate specialized curricula, but they will no longer have the right to select students and will apply and be assigned like regular students. The Ministry of Education will provide KRW 1 billion for three years to support the conversion of vocational schools and specialty schools to general schools, and will change the scope of recruitment for vocational schools and general schools nationwide to the city or province level.
The government said it decided to convert private schools to general schools to ensure fairness in entrance exams, as it believes that private schools, foreign language schools, and international schools deepen private education and lead to educational inequality based on parental income. On the other hand, there are concerns that the abolition of jasago and specialty high schools could spur the resurgence of the Gangnam 8 district. However, experts say the impact of the high school reorganization on real estate is only a psychological concern. A public opinion poll shows that 51.3% of respondents are in favor of the move, while 40.6% are against, but the debate is still ongoing.
The arguments for and against the abolition of specialized schools and independent private schools
Proponents of abolition argue that specialty schools and independent schools hinder social integration through education and lead to educational inequality. They argue that the real reason for the emphasis on college-preparatory education is to select the best students, and that the high tuition costs of jasagoes exacerbate inequality of educational opportunity. They also argue that JASAKO leads to high school stratification, which contributes to the phenomenon of general high school slums.
On the other hand, opponents of abolition argue that jasago and specialty schools should be retained because they complement high school leveling policies and expand students’ school options. They argue that jasago reinforces public education, encourages students to take pride in their schools, and ensures the autonomy of private schools. They also argue that the idea that self-accreditation is an aristocratic school is a prejudice, and that it serves to compensate for the downward leveling that has occurred due to high school leveling.
Analyzing the pros and cons of each type of school
The advantages and disadvantages of each type of high school are an important consideration for middle school students and their parents. Specialized high schools have autonomy over curriculum and can run a variety of programs, and while they may be more difficult to manage than general high schools, they are considered to be better at preparing for the SAT.
Jasago is the type of school with the most liberal curriculum, allowing for customized classes and various programs. This allows for flexible learning even if you change your career path, and both specialty schools and jasago are generally considered to have excellent teachers and autonomous curriculums, which are advantageous for comprehensive student department selection.
Conclusion
One of the most controversial issues in Korean society, the abolition of jasago and specialty schools, is still hotly debated. Middle school students are under great pressure due to increased competition in the entrance examination, and students are facing excessive competition due to the perception that privileged schools have an advantage in entrance examinations. While these schools may claim to be diverse, it is undeniable that they are in fact prestigious schools. The impact of economic privilege on the education system is significant and requires reflection on the role of education in pursuit of fairness.
The government has announced a policy of converting private and specialized schools to general schools from 2025, and there are strong opinions for and against this. We look forward to reconciling these positions to create a society where all students can receive fair education.
