Stress Education And You Get 83 Percent College Attendance

November 27, 2009

By system

One of the most tense days in South Korea just passed. Almost 700,000 high school students took the national college entrance examination. This is no small thing. The annual test determines a student’s future. There is so much importance placed on the exam that planes can’t even fly near the test site, and the workday begins one hour later so students may get to the testing center ontime.

Cops even escort girls in the direction of their school. There are 1,100 test locations throughout the nation. Lots of parents usher their children to the test and cheerthem while others wait outside and watch their students taking the test. Students even come prepared with water bottles and seat cushions.

Students prepare for this test their entire life. One student revealed that they studied six hours per day outside of school in order to prepare. The stress is high because that’s what universities look at. One student said “It’s all going to be changed by this.”

The pressure gets so high for some students that they end up committing suicide. For those that have opted to take the test and spent a large part of their time studying have parents and grandparents praying at Buddhist temples in Seoul and throughout the country. Parents pray their child’s college placement exams will turn out well and the scores will be high. Some parents have been praying for this in excess of 100 days.

A students potential and ultimately their existence comes down to one test in one single day. Because the country does emphasize education 83 percent of high school grads go to universities. But in order to get to a university they have to do well on the nine hour examination.

The stress and pressure placed on these kids is excessive. A child’s opportunity shouldn’t depend on one day and one test. Along with the fact that many kids don’t test well. It goes back to the fact that people understand and test differently. Some do great on tests while others do better on interviews or projects. The government ought to give students more of a chance to show that they can be do well in life without this one test.

Even though South Korea’s graduation rates are high, and their college attendance is high students still need to be able to have a life. They need to waste time with friends socializing, playing sports, and spending time with relatives. Not everything is learned in the classroom. They need to experience high school and College because for many of us that was the most exciting time of our life.

There is way too much pressure placed on these South Korean students. The U.S. also has a valuable test but there isn’t as much stress involved. While the ACT or SAT in America are the big test they don’t determine your future. They give a background to present what you have learned. But students can go on to college and live a thriving life with the value of hard work and even if you have poor scores many still get into college.

Education is terribly important but many Americans earn their degrees, open their own businesses, and have successful lives even if they didn’t score well on the test. While the American system isn’t the greatest and there is a lot of room for improvement, the South Koreans need to relax a little bit. One test cannot establish the aptitude or worth of a student.

About the Author Info
Diane Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah and enjoys writing about current events, politics, college degrees, online school, and the office.

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