Normalizing public education holds the key

Kang Joo-an
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD member countries. In other words, it is the country with the lowest probability of surviving without committing suicide. The suicide rate of minors is especially serious.

The rate for children and youth aged 0-17 in 2021 was the highest in the 2000s according to the “Children and Youth Quality of Life 2022 Report” by Statistics Korea. It has doubled from 1.4 per 100,000 in 2015 to 2.7. 9.5 out of 100,000 between age 15 and 17 die by suicide. It is the age group suffering from college admissions.

It’s not hard to guess the reasons. A survey shows that 25.9% of students responded, “I have thought about self-harm or suicide due to anxiety and depression from academic performance.” Democratic Party lawmaker Yoo Ki-hong and the World Without Worrying About Private Education surveyed 5,176 elementary, middle and high school students and 1,859 parents nationwide last year.

At this point, we cannot but think of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who ordered, “Questions in areas not covered in the public education curriculum should be excluded from the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).” Although the timing was not good, many people sympathize with the president’s awareness of the problem.

Six years ago, former President Moon Jae-in also asked to help reduce private education costs at a Ministry of Education meeting, saying, “The biggest problems of education are too excessive competition for entrance exams, private education costs, and deepening education gaps.” The result is embarrassing. The private education market is ever more prosperous. In 2018, former President Moon declared that he would work to reduce the number of suicides during his term. But the suicide rate among teenagers is rising.

Around 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, I drove around the private academy district in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul. Although it is less busy than weekdays, cars with emergency lights were lined up in front of buildings with academy signs on the weekend. Traffic guides were busy working at the crossings. Students in similar outfits and bulging backpacks poured out and got in their parents’ cars.

Even if you study so hard and get top grades, it’s hard to beat depression. When asked the biggest reason why, students at private high schools, specialized high schools and schools for gifted students are all stressed about their studies and grades. Some 73.8 percent said they suffer disappointment in themselves and loss of confidence.

Recently, controversy erupted in Sejong City over the installation of an opening and closing device for the rooftop door of a shopping mall. It is a measure implemented after a series of student jumped to their deaths from the rooftop. Experts, such as social welfare Professor Song In-han of Yonsei University, say that the effect of restricted access to the means for suicide has been proven in many studies in Korea and abroad. In 2016, an automatic closure device is required for the rooftop door in apartment buildings. But the measure of locking the door without preparing better ways to prevent students from heading to the rooftop is shabby.

There is something strangely in common between college admission and suicide, which are locked in a vicious cycle. There is a back door for those responsible for solving the problem. Suicide-related information is not even shared in real time among government ministries in charge of reducing suicides. So there is no one to take accountability when suicide increases. There is a widespread perception that college admission is determined by private education, lessening the burden on public education officials. Private institutes are responsible for sending students to top universities and medical schools.

With “killer questions,” applicants for CSAT 2022 are ranked from the 1st place to 508,030th place. But can we say it is fair? How can the question-setters who are not good at adjusting the difficulty level and alternate between easy and hard tests conduct a perfect assessment? Even if “killer questions” are eliminated, normalization of public education should be the priority. That’s the way to save students.

In the current situation, when getting one killer problem wrong and having 12 years of study collapse, one can be pushed to an extreme situation. Students fight depression, stuck in private education until 10 p.m. even on weekends. If you don’t have money and become frustrated when registering at an expensive private academy is a must, not only students but also parents are at risk. This system is one pillar of the highest suicide rate.

When deciding the college admission, the impact on youth suicide rate should be examined. When the proportion of private education grows, risk factors grow economically and in lifestyle. If CSAT questions are limited to what is covered in public education and become too easy, how about supplementing it with regular admissions? As the rolling admission and essay also revealed their limits, there is no need to keep the current system. In the end, the universities and the society must change together. But if the college admission system does not change, changes cannot happen, and tragedy cannot be stopped. We desperately need college admissions that do not result in young people giving up their lives. Rather than the number of killer questions, the youth suicide rate could be an indicator more accurately showing the sincerity of the educational authorities.