Grade Inflation Worse in High schools

More than 30 percent of all students in one out of five high schools located in Seoul were found to have received A’s in Korean, English, and Math subjects.

Especially, 51 percent of students received A’s in English, and 20.2 percent B’s, in a high school located in the Gangnam area, indicating that grade-inflation is worse in areas with high standards of education.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated on Wednesday that the results were obtained after analyzing the first semester of 2004’s first year high school student grades in Korean, English, Math, Science, and Social Studies of 195 high schools within the jurisdiction.

Accordingly, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is planning to carry on with a special inspection system by preparing standard procedures against grade-inflation by March of this year.

According to the survey, the percentages of more than 30 percent of students who received A’s according to subject are: Science, 24.1 percent (47 schools); English, 23.1 percent (45 schools); Social Studies, 20.5 percent (40 schools); Korean, 18.9 percent (37 schools); and Math, 14.9 percent (29 schools).

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated that “since there are no clear standard procedures against grade-inflation, it is hard to inflict punishment upon schools that have been uncovered. However, after coming up with a standard procedure against grade inflation, the schools which violate it will face disadvantages along with discontinuance of financial support starting March of this year.”

Na-Yeon Lee larosa@donga.com