South Korea's Exam Overhaul: Tackling Stress and Fertility Crisis
South Korea's government is removing "killer questions" from the country's notoriously difficult eight-hour national college entrance exam, known as the Suneung, in an effort to address issues such as educational inequality, mental health problems, and the declining fertility rate. These questions, which often include material not covered in public school curricula, give an unfair advantage to students with access to private tutoring. The government aims to break the cycle of private education and reduce the burden on parents by providing more after-school and tutoring programs within the public sector. However, critics argue that this move is a superficial solution to a complex problem and that deeper changes, such as dismantling gender norms and supporting working parents, are needed.
