Clean up transfer standards

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Clean up transfer standards

The Education Ministry conducted a special probe into 13 private universities in Seoul and the capital region and found irregularities in the admission of transfer students.
The suspicions about the irregularities have been found to be true. In particular, it is significant that the country’s top private universities were involved in the scandal. The irregularities include the manipulation of interview scores and a leak of test questions. Children of professors, school officials and alumni were involved in many cases. How can we save the victims who studied hard for admission but were disadvantaged due to corrupt admission procedures?
The government and society have strictly overseen regular college admission standards. But the admission for transfer students was revealed to have been loosely supervised. The ministry also is to blame because it failed to pay proper attention to the issue.
The Roh Moo-hyun administration passed a revised bill that requires private schools to invite outsiders to be members of the school’s board.
We have been criticizing the law as an infringement on private school autonomy. But universities have to realize that if they are not transparent, they cannot protect themselves. Irregularities in admissions are not acceptable. Universities have demanded autonomy. But if they commit corrupt irregularities, how can we trust them? It is shameful for them to be called intellectuals by society.
With this revelation, how can society allow private universities to introduce endowment admissions which they have been demanding?
The government decided to revise the current admission system for transfer students. But before that happens, the government should clear up any and all irregularities. Although the responsible officials at schools were reprimanded this time, the punishment should not be just a slap on the wrist.
We hope the ministry investigates the admission process for transfer students at other universities.
With admission irregularities prevalent at some prestigious private universities, there is a possibility that such improperieties are systemic.
The prosecution should thoroughly investigate universities and root out such corruption.
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