``Job-Oriented College Education Hampers Development of Professional Knowledge``

The Seoul National University held the symposium and panel for diagnosing the `crisis in fundamental studies` and `crisis in high school education`, and searching for the solutions yesterday.

The speakers raised serious criticisms that the pragmatist college reform deepened the pauperization of the fundamental studies, in symposium `Future of Fundamental Studies` held by the Seoul National University Fundamental Studies Commission (president prof. Yoo Pyung-Keun) at professor`s club.

And Seoul National University College of Education (dean Cho Chang-Seop) opened the `Panel on the High School Education` at Culture Hall, in which the participants had a heated debate on the problems of the current college entrance system and the accompanying distortion of the high school education.

▽ Symposium On Crisis In Fundamental Studies

Prof. Yoon Yi-Heum (Arts and Science, Dept. Religion) criticized that as a result of the pragmatist education reform pursued by the college authority, the professor society has been under bloody competition for taking his/her own share across colleges and departments. Seoul National University fell into the situation just like tumultuous development area in which swift land bidders gather.

▽ Panel On Crisis In High School Education

Prof. Baik Soon-Keun (Dept. Education) asserted the necessity of introduction of school ranking system, saying that ``since the current high-school academic report system does not properly reflect the academic ability of students, the colleges have had a difficulty in selecting college student candidates.``

And he urged the education authority to diversify the forms and levels of college entrance exam, to elevate the need-based student recruitment, and to stop the widening of recruitment scale.

Dean Cho Chang-Seop maintained, ``the collapse of Korean public education has drawn from the floating educational policies, which have been inconsistently pursued ignoring the impending issues in education. The active support for the colleges of education would be necessary for nurturing the qualified teachers as a fundamental solution.``

changkim@donga.com