The Education Ministry on Monday said it was considering moving the beginning of the school year to September to attract more students and faculty members from abroad while making it easier for Korean students to join foreign programs during the summer.
Korean schools begin their academic year in March and have shorter summer breaks and longer winter vacations than in Western countries. This often causes complications when foreign students and professors come to Korea and vice versa.
The ministry said the envisioned system aims to address these problems. By introducing the Western school year, the ministry said the country could attract more foreign scholars, faculty members and students, which would ultimately help improve the quality of Korean education. Officials said the change would help local students as well.
“Most countries with advanced education systems have long vacations in the summer. Longer summer breaks will allow students to participate in student exchange programs or internships outside of Korea,” a ministry official said. A detailed plan has yet to be worked out, he added.
The ministry said it would gather public opinions from 2016 to 2018 and decide whether and when to implement the new academic calendar. If all goes smoothly, the new school year could be partially implemented as early as 2017.
Other possible options are also being discussed, such as starting the school year in January and extending the summer break. As the final exams take place in December, most students regard the time they spend in school in January and February as a waste of time.
Removing these two months from the schedule would reduce the amount of time students sit idly with little or no motivation to study hard, the ministry said.
This is not the first time Korea has attempted to adopt the school year system commonly used in the West. The current school year was introduced during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, and the country attempted to change the system upon its liberation in 1945.
However, the policy was scrapped on account of inconvenience to students. For instance, graduates had to wait for months before advancing to the next stage of education.
In 2006, former President Roh Moo-hyun attempted to alter the school year but failed to receive public approval.
Officials from the Education Ministry said the current situation was different from the failed attempts in the past.
“The ministry’s plan back then was to push back the beginning of school year for six months all in one go. Maybe we could adjust (the school year) one month per year,” a ministry official said.
There are also fewer students now than in 2006, which means the cost of the overhaul would be considerably smaller, he added.
The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations said Korea needed a school system that was in keeping with international trends. It added that such an important policy should not be rushed, and urged officials to learn from failed past attempts and hold discussions before implementing it.
