Daewon to ax English listening tests in ’10
Published: 17 Oct. 2009, 07:00
English listening tests will be scrapped for current second-year students at middle schools who are planning to apply to enter the Daewon Foreign Language High School starting in the class of 2011, Choi Won-ho, principal of the school, said yesterday.
“Beginning next year, we will select students through evaluations from admission officers after accepting 150 candidates by recommendations from the principals of schools they attend,” he said. “The number accounts for 35 percent of the total admission quota of 420,” said Choi, 59. “The school will also adopt a system of selecting students that considers regional balance so that hopefuls from 25 districts in Seoul can have an equal chance.”
The net effect is that the screening process is going to be shortened from three steps that currently include English listening exams, school grades and interviews. The two steps will be school grades and assessments by admission officers.
Each step will be applied to five separate selection systems.
Daewon is the first foreign language high school among 30 schools nationwide to announce abolishment of English listening examinations and adoption of admission officers.
“We have laid out a new admission system in order to wipe off the unfair charge that foreign language high schools are the cause of the private education boom,” Choi said. “The new plan is expected not to give extra advantage to students who receive expensive private education at districts like Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa.”
He said that more than half of all selected students have come from those districts in the past.
In addition, the high school is going to pick students through five selection systems from the current general and special systems. Daewon will pick students through admission officers, quotas, foreign language proficiency, low income and potential leadership.
“We are going to scrap English listening tests in each selection method but diversify the ratio of school grades and interviews,” Choi said. “Daewon decided that it would be better to maintain advantages of foreign high schools by improving admission plans rather than turning those schools into self-governing private high schools.”
Choi added that principals of 15 other foreign language high schools in Seoul and Incheon agreed to the new plan a week ago. Actual quotas and more specifics will be announced during the first half of next year, he said.
By Lee Won-jean, Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
“Beginning next year, we will select students through evaluations from admission officers after accepting 150 candidates by recommendations from the principals of schools they attend,” he said. “The number accounts for 35 percent of the total admission quota of 420,” said Choi, 59. “The school will also adopt a system of selecting students that considers regional balance so that hopefuls from 25 districts in Seoul can have an equal chance.”
The net effect is that the screening process is going to be shortened from three steps that currently include English listening exams, school grades and interviews. The two steps will be school grades and assessments by admission officers.
Each step will be applied to five separate selection systems.
Daewon is the first foreign language high school among 30 schools nationwide to announce abolishment of English listening examinations and adoption of admission officers.
“We have laid out a new admission system in order to wipe off the unfair charge that foreign language high schools are the cause of the private education boom,” Choi said. “The new plan is expected not to give extra advantage to students who receive expensive private education at districts like Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa.”
He said that more than half of all selected students have come from those districts in the past.
In addition, the high school is going to pick students through five selection systems from the current general and special systems. Daewon will pick students through admission officers, quotas, foreign language proficiency, low income and potential leadership.
“We are going to scrap English listening tests in each selection method but diversify the ratio of school grades and interviews,” Choi said. “Daewon decided that it would be better to maintain advantages of foreign high schools by improving admission plans rather than turning those schools into self-governing private high schools.”
Choi added that principals of 15 other foreign language high schools in Seoul and Incheon agreed to the new plan a week ago. Actual quotas and more specifics will be announced during the first half of next year, he said.
By Lee Won-jean, Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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