Around 490,000 college hopefuls will flock to test sites across the country on Dec. 3 to take the Suneung -- South Korea’s national college entrance exam. On this day, silence brings the nation to a standstill, as the cold air turns jittery with angst. Military training temporarily ceases, flights are grounded and government institutes and banks delay opening by an hour to prevent traffic during the rush to testing sites. Suneung is the College Scholastic Ability Test in Korean -- the

The education minister on Thursday asked citizens to temporarily suspend their usual gatherings ahead of next week's nationwide college entrance exam so it won't be affected by the recent spike in new coronavirus cases. "(I) earnestly ask all South Korean people to suspend their usual gatherings for a week starting today with the hearts of parents with children who are taking the exam in mind," Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said during a news conference held at the government complex

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be introduced as a new subject in local high schools next year before being expanded to the curriculums of kindergartens and elementary and middle schools by 2025, the education ministry said Friday, declaring a bid to strengthen AI education in preparation for a digital future. The government's AI education blueprint was announced after Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hae presided over a meeting of social affairs ministers for discussions on adjusting its educat

Hundreds of non-regular workers at Seoul schools launched a two-day strike Thursday, including many working in school cafeterias. Around 2,500 members of the Seoul branch of a coalition representing non-regular school workers were expected to join the walkout to demand changes to their retirement pension system. While many are cafeteria workers who prepare meals for students, the group also includes administrative staff members and child care workers responsible for after-hours programs. Th

South Korea is readying 60 percent more testing rooms and 30 percent more personnel for the Dec. 3 nationwide college entrance exam, as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic looms, the Education Ministry announced Wednesday. “We now have upped our test administration system to accommodate up to 120 test-takers infected with COVID-19 and up to 3,800 potential patients under quarantine,” Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said, before presiding over a meeting with local education chi

Three students were awarded the grand prizes at the largest English speech contest in South Korea, the International Youth Fellowship announced Tuesday. Leading up to the 20th IYF English Speech Contest held Saturday, 1,400 students across the country competed in the regional preliminary competition, and the best 74 reached the finals of the annual contest held online and broadcast live via YouTube. Each of the middle school, high school and college students competing in the finals gave a spee

The South Korean government on Sunday unveiled a plan to tighten monitoring of cram schools and study facilities ahead of the first national college entrance scheduled to take place during the new coronavirus pandemic. The exam, held annually in November, was postponed as school schedules were affected by the unprecedented virus outbreak. It was eventually scheduled for Dec. 3. Under the plan, the education ministry and provincial governments will inspect whether cram schools and study cafes a

A court ruled in favor of a local education office that dismissed a middle school ethics teacher for showing a film with nudity to students during class. The Gwangju District Court on Thursday dismissed a complaint from Bae-Lee Sang-heun filed against the Gwangju educational authority, which asked for the cancellation of his dismissal from a teaching position. The court said the dismissal is valid, as some students felt sexually offended and disturbed by the screening, and that Bae-Lee did no

Preemptive government measures prevent worst child care void

More than 6,000 after-school care attendants are expected to launch a strike Friday in protest against proposed changes to school child care management and their employment status, sparking fears of a major disruption in child care services. A coalition of nonregular school workers said in a press briefing Thursday that more than half of its 12,000 members working as care workers at schools are expected to join the one-day strike. The collective action is aimed at blocking a legislative revi

It is a privilege, on behalf of Seoul Foreign School and our Communications and Marketing team, to accept this honor from The Korea Herald celebrating our efforts in educational advertising.  Seoul Foreign School is an international school in Seoul established in 1912. Home to more than 1,450 students, SFS offers a 109-year legacy of educational excellence.  SFS is a Pre-K 2-12 International Baccalaureate World School and Foundation to Year 9 British School for students ranging in ag

Thousands of after-school care attendants are threatening a one-day strike Friday, demanding better working conditions. A coalition of nonregular school workers announced Wednesday that more than a quarter of its 13,000 members working as after-school care providers are expected to join the walkout. That is about 3,300 workers at 2,200 elementary schools nationwide. The planned action is to block a legislative revision that would make after-school care a community-level project planned and ma

Even COVID-19 patients and those with symptoms won’t have to miss the life-defining Suneung, Education Ministry says

Seoul will provide all first-year students in the city’s middle and high schools with a one-off stipend of 300,000 won ($265), starting from next year, the city‘s education office announced Thursday. “When children advance to middle or high schools, households have to provide them with new uniforms, textbooks, stationery items and, in the coronavirus situation, smart devices,” said Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, explaining the stipen

Nearly 80 students and college admission consultants have been nabbed on charges of producing ghostwritten essays and other papers for writing competitions, which were later used to embellish college entrance applications, according to police Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it has booked 18 workers at a college admission consulting institute in southern Seoul and 60 students involved in the organized scam that spanned from June 2017 to July of last year. Among the suspects,