South Korea's education system consists of six years of primary school, three years of junior high school, three years of senior high school, four years of colleges or universities with postgraduate courses aimed at training doctors, and two-year colleges and vocational universities.
The basic curriculum of Korean primary schools includes eight main subjects: ethics, Putonghua, sociology, arithmetic, science, physical education, music, fine arts and practical fine arts. Some courses are mixed with professors in the first and second grades, and English and practical arts are added from the third grade. Primary school teachers must be graduates of four-year normal colleges.
After graduating from primary school, teenagers aged 12 to 14 are allowed to enter junior high school to study the courses of grades 7 to 9. Since 1969 canceled the junior high school entrance examination, junior high school enrollment has changed to the system of regional lottery distribution, leaving no room for students to choose schools. This change aims to eliminate the differences between key middle schools and ordinary middle schools, so that all junior middle schools can provide students with the same quality of education and avoid the pressure of students' entrance examination.
Junior high school curriculum includes 1 1 basic or compulsory subjects, several elective subjects and extracurricular activities. Technical and vocational courses are optional courses for students who are going to find jobs after graduation.
The senior high school entrance examination system has also been revised in 1974, so that students who pass the national examination can decide their own senior high schools according to the regional lottery. This revision cancels the examinations sponsored by various schools, so that high school education has the same quality. Results The proportion of students who entered senior high school after graduating from junior high school also increased.
Students who apply to enter vocational high schools must have the conditions for graduating from junior high schools and must take the pre-test at the Taoist level. The courses in vocational high schools usually account for 40-60% of general courses and 60-40% of vocational courses, which pay equal attention to theory and practice.
There are many kinds of higher education institutions in Korea: there are four-year junior college (medical school and dental school are six years), four-year normal college, two-year junior college, radio and correspondence university, TV university, and various two-to four-year schools equivalent to universities, such as nursing colleges and theological seminaries.
According to the Korean Education Law and related decrees, both public and private higher education institutions must accept the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education is responsible for controlling the number of students, auditing teachers, setting courses, approving the conditions for awarding degrees, and stipulating unified courses.
The number of students in Korean colleges and universities is strictly limited. Due to the difference between the number of students enrolled and the number of applicants, many candidates who retake the exam will be added every academic year, thus causing competition for admission. Since 198 1, the university entrance system has undergone drastic changes. 1993 adopts the new system, and determines the admission qualification of candidates after comprehensively considering their high school academic performance and national examination results. At present, about 30 colleges and universities still hold additional humanities examinations. When deciding whether to admit candidates, their high school graduation scores account for a certain proportion, which varies according to the admission standards of colleges and universities.