[CARD NEWS: Opinion] Is a college diploma needless? Well, better than high school grads.
1) In 2008 the Korean government implemented a policy to increase employment among high school graduates. The policy aims to create a society where having only a high school diploma can still lead to success.
2) The employment rate of high school grads has increased by 9.4 percent
source : Ministry of Education
As a result of the change, the rate of college entrance dropped from 80 percent to 70 percent. Meanwhile, the employment rate of high school graduates soared. The policy seemed to have a positive effect.
3) The policy, however, was only for show. The government was only interested in the numbers and the statistics it could publish, not making a real improvement.
4) The number of employed high school graduates with comprehensive insurance cover decreased by 4 percent
source: the office of lawmaker Do Jong-hwan
The employment market for high school graduates actually got narrower, aggravating the situation.
5) “Most companies prefer a man who has completed his military service. It is true that male high school graduates who haven’t served in the army could hardly get a job.”
- a 24-year-old surnamed Park
Military service is a headache as well. Until military service has been completed a part-time job is often the only option.
6) Many high school graduates, who are undervalued in our society, feel helpless
7) “When I compare my wage to that of my college graduate friends, I think ‘I should have gone to a college.’”
While the discrimination over academic background has been removed in the public service field, it is still very common in private companies. A ceiling is imposed especially high school graduate employees, in terms of wage and personnel administration.
8) What is the mandatory academic level to live in this society?
College grad / high school grad / middle school grad
Source: Good Teacher Organization
Even worse, the majority of Koreans still consider a college diploma necessary.
9) With such a strong societal bias towards highly educated people, an excess in college graduates is inevitable.
People enroll in college automatically, without giving any real thought to alternatives.
10) The less competitive the employment market for high school graduates becomes, the more people go to college.
11) The more people with college diplomas looking for employment, the more willing they are to downgrade their employment expectations.
12) This vicious employment circle keeps repeating, as the more the college graduates take all available jobs, the narrower the chances are for high school graduates.
13) The rate of vocational high school graduates with unemployment insurance
source: an inspection by the Small and Medium Business Administration
A specialized vocational high school system based on a German model shows an employment rate over 90 percent. However, nobody knows whether this statistic reflects the real story or not.
14) “The state scholarships given to college students cost trillions of won, whereas the financial commitment for high school grad employment policies falls far short.”
In our society, which gives people no option but to go to college, there is a huge excess of graduates.
15) To break out of this vicious cycle the government must now concentrate on a more realistic solution, not on superficial policy that only looks good on paper.
Directed by Lee Jeong-bong
Constructed by Kim Min-pyo
Designed by Bae Seok-yeong
Translated by Son Min-young
Edited by Jim Bulley
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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