[EDLING:2116] Korea: Grades Manipulated to Help Students Enroll Foreign Schools

[Francis M Hult]

via lgpolicy...

>   Grades Manipulated to Help Students Enroll Foreign Schools
> 
> By Kang Shin-who
> Staff Reporter
> 
> Many foreign language high schools manipulate grades to help their
> students advance to overseas universities. The weekly magazine, Hankyoreh
> 21, reported yesterday that Hanyoung Foreign Language High School in Seoul
> has granted unjustifiable grades to their students who wish to study at
> U.S. universities. The magazine also quoted the former headmaster of the
> school as saying the same practices have been rampant in other schools as
> well. The school has issued manipulated grade records to students who have
> applied for U.S. universities, breaking the related education laws. For
> example, the school gave ``A grades to students who had scored more than
> 70 points out of a possible 100 points.
> 
> However, according to the current regulations, set by the Ministry of
> Education and Human Resources Development, test scores are categorized
> into five grades; A (100-90), B (89-80), C (79-70), D (69-60), and F
> (below 60). The ministry has already conducted inspections of foreign
> language high schools. ``These unfair practices break the rules. The
> government already granted favors to the foreign language schools by
> allowing them to have more foreign language classes compared to other
> schools, said Kim Kye-sun, a supervisor of the ministrys primary and
> secondary school policy division. Meanwhile, when asked about the
> irregularities of the school, school headmaster, Kim Jong-im told The
> Korea Times that he had nothing to say about the scandals and he will
> resign from the position soon. Kim replaced the former headmaster, Chang
> Doo-su who resigned last October.
> 
> However, Kim expressed regret over the ministrys policy to control elite
> students and call for education equality. ``There are many excellent
> students in our school who will lead Korea in the future, but the ministry
> is disturbing their development. I am tired of their policies, he said. A
> teacher, who deals with students looking to study overseas, from Daewon
> Foreign Language High School in Seoul, said, ``Our school obeys the policy
> very well. Students who hope to go to U.S. universities need to stay up
> very late to realize their dreams.
> 
> http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200612/kt2006120519064411990.htm