Korea: CSAT Preparation and Exams.
- From: PaPaPeng <PaPaPeng@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:48:09 GMT
Excerpts:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GK30Dg01.html
Life and death exams in South Korea
By James Card
Last week, 600,000 South Korean students took an exam that will
determine the future course of their lives - the ultimate goal being
to reach the SKY.
In a country where students, not babies are born, young children are
prepped, schooled, coddled and groomed to take the College Scholastic
Ability Test (CSAT). From a tender age children, and their parents,
are shooting for acceptance into one of the so-called "big three"
Korean universities.
Seoul National University (SNU), Korea University and Yonsei
University are collectively nicknamed SKY. Getting into one of
these institutions is considered a South Korean student's crowning
life achievement. Not only will successful students have the best
academic pedigree in the country, they will also have a strong alumni
network that tends to be biased in hiring and mentoring grads from
their alma mater. Even their currency as a marriage partner increases
as a SKY graduate.
The national obsession that revolves around higher education is
focused on getting a near perfect score on the CSAT, along with having
top grades in school. Parents start their children on the educational
track early on in an assortment of pre-schools that offer numerous
early childhood learning programs that guarantee they will mold the
brains of junior geniuses. Some are worthy, many are dubious.
A college entrance exam in many other countries usually generates only
a shrug but on CSAT day in South Korea, intensity hangs in the air.
Under government orders, businesses reschedule the workday so
employees alleviate the traffic conditions for students heading to
testing sites.
(more)
Its really gruesome what schoolkids have to go through.
.
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