Wealthy Students Score Higher On CSAT

According to a recent study, students at schools in wealthy neighborhoods have higher College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scores in average than those at schools in low-income neighborhoods. The maximum differences in scores were 22.2 points in Korean, 16.7 points in Math and 20.7 points in English.

This means a student in the highest-income bracket is likely to score 9.6 points higher in Korean, 9.5 points higher in math and 14.3 points higher in English than his or her low-income counterpart.

Researcher Oh Ho-young of Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, or KRIVET, announced his findings on Monday in his research paper which analyzed the relation between incomes and class performances. He analyzed the 2005 CSAT scores of 1,483 students at 99 high schools in the nation.

The recent study proved the current standardization policy based on a school group system is not helping to level the field of education and narrow the performance gap among schools. It also shows that the performance gap is a serious problem.

The study is likely to bring about controversy in the field of education over the legitimacy of the current system.

Mr. Oh pointed out, “Students in rich neighborhoods have higher scores because they have access to better public and private educational institutions. Since parents try to move to so-called ‘good school districts’, the performance gap among groups and individual schools are ever more widening, despite the standardization policy.”

Mr. Oh’s study will be published at the second Korean Education and Employment Panel Conference organized by KRIVET on November 4.

peacechaos@donga.com