Teachers' union demands overhaul of student record system, citing 'copy-paste' failures

A South Korean teachers' union is calling for a fundamental reform of the 'Haksaengbu,' or student record system, arguing it has become a distorted tool for university admissions. The Teachers' Union Federation (KTU) held a press conference outside the Ministry of Education in Sejong City, criticizing the ministry's guidelines that prohibit negative remarks and allegedly force positive framing.

The union specifically addressed recent audit findings by the Board of Audit and Inspection, which highlighted instances of teachers copying and pasting identical sentences into the detailed ability and special notes sections for multiple students. The KTU contends that this practice, often referred to as 'copy-paste,' is a symptom of the system's structural flaws, which unfairly place the blame for institutional failures on individual teachers' alleged lack of diligence.

Kim Hee-jung, chairperson of the secondary teachers' union, stated that the system's demand for universally positive yet distinct narratives for each student's admission process creates a "fake listing" for student records. She further pointed out that while the high school credit system has increased the number of subjects and records, the teacher allocation, student record system, and university admissions process have not been adequately updated.

Song Soo-yeon, KTU chairperson, added that the government is strengthening the admissions function of the student record system while shifting the responsibility for complaints and audits onto individual teachers. The union is demanding a complete re-evaluation of the student record system's function, the establishment of a system tailored to the educational goals and developmental stages of each school level, and an increase in teachers to manage the workload associated with the expanded record-keeping under the high school credit system.