Dispute Erupts Inside Education Commission Over Expansion of Essay-Based College Entrance Exams

South Korea’s National Education Commission is heading into an internal dispute over how openly it should discuss proposed changes to university admissions.

The commission will hold an emergency meeting on the afternoon of the 4th after 11 of its 19 members requested it. The agenda concerns key presentations and issues raised during public deliberations on the admissions system, including a proposal to expand written and essay-based assessments in the College Scholastic Ability Test and school records.

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We will mainly discuss concerns about expanding written and essay-based assessments, as well as how the commission should conduct public deliberations on reforming the university admissions system.

Some members say Chair Cha Jung-in has not sufficiently explained the process to the full commission while promoting a reform plan developed by a special admissions committee. The meeting will examine presentations from regional discussions and a two-day, one-night deliberation program. It will mark the first formal discussion among commission members on expanding written and essay-based assessments in both the national exam and school records.

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Since the university admissions reform plan is already known, there is no reason to hold the meeting behind closed doors. The public has a right to know what is being discussed about university admissions.

The meeting’s format has become another point of contention. The chair and standing members reportedly favor a closed session because university admissions are sensitive. Members who requested the meeting argue that the reform proposals have already entered the public debate and that citizens have a right to know what is being discussed. A vote may decide whether the session is open.

The commission aims to include its admissions direction in a draft long-term development plan due in October. It must then conduct further public deliberations before the commission reviews and approves the final plan. Internal objections over the process could disrupt that timetable.

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The problem grew because the commission pursued public deliberations on admissions reform without communicating with its members from the outset and concealed the discussion process from view. The meeting should be open.