[Editorial] How to Overcome `Academic Sectarianism`

There always lies academic sectarianism behind many morbid phenomena in our society. In such a reality that social discrimination based upon academic cliques is taken for granted, the entrance exam competition for college becomes inevitably excessive, followed by excessive extracurricular studies and a heavy expenditure for private education. The unemployed with higher education increase. A `sectarian culture` centered on a particular college is being formed

It appears to be an attempt to break down academic sectarianism deeply rooted in our society that the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development has set up `The Plan for Abolishment of Academic Sectarianism`, with a decision to include in elementary, middle and high school textbooks articles examining ill effects of academic sectarianism.

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development plans to distribute such teaching materials as `Changing Society` to schools, and hold such lectures as `Rightful Professionalism` for the parents of students of three model middle and high schools. In addition, it has decided to set out a campaign for reform of consciousness with `The National Commission for Rebuilding Korea` and invite the public to join in a prize contest for best slogans.

It would be better than anything else if academic sectarianism is overthrown through such efforts. But our reality is worse than imagined, which cannot be changed by hundreds of campaigns.

In our society a college diploma is of the greatest social value. An academic clique and educational background are the most important factors in one`s success, which result in a wage differential. Hierarchical college system where Seoul National University ranks the first has instilled an obsession into students that only those who enter higher-ranking colleges can survive.

In this situation, there are those who withdraw from the colleges they went and prepare again for the entrance exam in order to get in so-called distinguished colleges. In particular, it is because of this reason that the number of students who stay out of local colleges temporarily is increasing rapidly. Crisis of local colleges leads to subsequent crisis in local area, which inconsequence hinders the balanced development of the nation.

What is important here are consciousness and system. Above all, the social atmosphere that values a title more than ability should be reformed. A company`s custom of preferring graduates of so-called distinguished colleges should be changed. In order to do so, there should be an objective standard by which one`s executive ability, creativity and ideas, instead of educational background, can be measured. Especially, creativity is one of the important factors, which a nation or a company has to take most seriously as it faces a knowledge-based society of the 21st. century.

To be sure, the abolishment of academic sectarianism as such should be carried out within the limits of competition principle that is the initial motive power for social development. The abolishment of academic sectarianism should not aim at a downward equalization. No one can survive in this fierce international competition if he or she resides comfortably in academic sectarianism or lives by a college diploma.