South Korean first-year high school dropouts exceed 10,000 amid grading changes

A concerning trend has emerged in South Korea, with the number of first-year high school students dropping out surpassing 10,000 for the first time. Last year, 10,450 Grade 10 students left their general high school education, accounting for 56% of all such dropouts. This marks a significant increase, particularly among younger students.

Traditionally, Korea's correspondence high schools (Bangtonggo) catered to older adults busy with work who missed out on formal education. However, classrooms now see a notable presence of young athletes from sports like golf, equestrian, and table tennis, who need flexible schedules to manage competitions. Increasingly, students are withdrawing from regular high schools to attend correspondence schools, often in conjunction with private cram schools (hagwon) focused on the national college entrance exam, the Suneung.

This shift is partly attributed to the perceived ease of obtaining good grades in correspondence schools, allowing students to concentrate more effectively on Suneung preparation. While some regions, like Seoul, have regulations against such practices, others actively encourage transfers to correspondence high schools as a means to lower overall high school dropout rates. The recent surge in Grade 10 dropouts is particularly linked to the grading system's revision from a 9-grade to a 5-grade scale, which has made achieving top marks more accessible.