The Ministry of Education has unveiled a plan to undertake a bold but untested educational program proposed by President Park Geun-hye.

On the campaign trail, Park promised to introduce an exam-free semester for middle school students to give them time to discover their aptitude and talent and explore their career options.

The ministry said it would implement the test-free semester system for the nation’s 3,200 middle schools from 2016, based on an assessment of a pilot program that will run from this year to 2015.

The pilot project will be conducted at 42 schools in the fall semester this year and at another 40 schools in the spring semester in 2014. In 2015, all schools that wish to test the concept will be allowed to participate.

During the free-learning semester, there will be no mid-term and final exams. The test days will be used for work experience. Schools will adjust their curriculum to reduce the hours for academic subjects and allocate more time to diverse non-academic programs, including career exploration activities.

Education Minister Seo Nam-soo described the project as an attempt to reform secondary education in Korea. He also said it could be the starting point for efforts to transform Korea’s exam-oriented educational system into one geared toward the intrinsic value of education.

As noted by the minister, the intent of the scheme is beyond reproach. If implemented successfully, the proposed program would produce positive changes in secondary education.

By easing the pressure of school exams, it could allow students to study the areas they are interested in. This will make them more independent and creative learners.

It could also offer students a chance to experience the world of work and seriously think about their career options. Career exploration activities are the starting point for vocational education, which is critical to reining in youth unemployment.

Yet the government’s plan is not without its problems. Parents are worried about a possible drop in the academic abilities of their children, given that the school hours for such subjects as Korean, English and math will be reduced.

Parents who want to send their children to top-ranking high schools may turn to private tutoring if schools fail to live up to their expectations. This would be a result exactly opposite of what the government hopes for.

Another problem of the scheme concerns work experience. The ministry said that during the pilot period, students would mostly visit public agencies, such as fire stations and police stations, to gain work experience.

But when the 3,200 schools across the nation simultaneously introduce an exam-free semester, public agencies alone would not be enough to accommodate students. The cooperation of private companies is essential.

Students in rural areas will likely be at a disadvantage in terms of work experience opportunities as they will have more difficulty accessing private companies.

There is also the task of linking students with the facilities they wish to visit. Teachers are worried that the onus might fall upon them. This bridging role should be played by local governments but they are not prepared to do so.

In a word, the government’s reform program lacks the necessary infrastructure. Whether or not it succeeds depends largely on how far the government goes to put the necessary infrastructure in place before its across-the-board implementation.