Cram school in test scandal to be closed

The cram school that gave its students leaked questions for the foreign language high school admissions test in Gyeonggi will be shut down, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said yesterday in a release.
“According to the results of the police investigation, it is evident that the cram school’s chairman was directly involved in the leakage of test questions,” the release said. “The school caused significant social problems and hurt its students, whose admission to foreign language high schools were revoked.”
Following the law on private institutes, the office will nullify the school’s registration and shut it down on Dec. 7, according to Gu Hyo-joong, director of the education office.
“This is designed to punish the chairman of the cram school,” he said.
Gwak Yong-seok, 41, chairman of the Mokdong Jongro M School, will be prohibited from establishing another cram school within a year.
Gwak allegedly received leaked test questions from a teacher at the Gimpo Foreign Language High School and distributed copies to 200 students on Oct. 30, the day of the test. He has been detained.
A total of 62 students enrolled at the cram school had their admissions to Gimpo, Myongji and Anyang Foreign Language High Schools in Gyeonggi Province nullified.
Under the law, the cram school may be allowed to register under a new name and reopen in the same building, led by a new chairman.
The education office vowed to conduct a special crackdown through Dec. 6 on irregularities in test preparation schools specializing in foreign language high schools.
The scrutiny will include checks on false advertising, overcharging tuition and overall school management.

By Kim Soe-jung JoongAng Ilbo / Park Su-ryon Staff Writer [soejung@joongang.co.kr]