Proportion of high school students rated deficient in Korean and math reaches six-year high

The June mock test for the 2025 College Placement Test was held on June 4. Yonhap News Agency

In last year's national-level academic achievement evaluation, the proportion of high school students who were rated deficient in Korean and mathematics hit the highest level since the sample survey in 2017. It was found that the gap in academic achievement between metropolitan and rural areas did not decrease. However, middle and high school students' academic level of English improved overall last year.

According to the results of last year’s nationwide scholastic achievement test released by the Ministry of Education on June 17, the proportion of second-year high school students who rated Level 1 (below basic level) in Korean and mathematics reached its highest level since the survey began in 2017.

The proportion of second-year high school students who rated Level 1 in Korean increased from 5 percent in 2017 to 8.6 percent last year. That of students rated level 1 in mathematics increased from 9.9 percent in 2017 to 16.6 percent last year. This means that about one in six second-year high school students did not meet the basic level of achievement in math.

In the case of middle school seniors, the number of students rated Level 1 in both Korean and math decreased last year, but compared to 2017, the proportion of students performing at Level 1 is still higher in Korean (2.6 percent to 9.1 percent) and math (7.1 percent to 13 percent).

Teachers at schools said not a few students had difficulty solving a problem themselves due to their lack of literacy, according to the Ministry of Education. It is also paying attention to the students who have given up math. "We continue to keep an eye on those students who gave up studying and plan to expand basic education guidance through supplementary curriculum programs and after-school classes," said an official from the ministry.

Regional disparities in academic achievement levels persisted across all subjects.

In particular, the gap between metropolitan areas (56.2 percent) and rural areas (38.6 percent) in the proportion of students scoring at or above Level 3 (moderate) in math last year was wider (17.6 percentage points) than in 2022 (13.4 percentage points). The proportion of Level 1 in math subjects among middle school seniors was also 10.6 percent in large cities, down from 11.4 percent in 2022, but 17.9 percent in rural areas, up from 17.3 percent in 2022.

The evaluation results show that the overall academic performance in English has improved. Last year, the proportion of Level 1 in English among middle school seniors was 6 percent, a decrease of 2.8 percentage points from 2022. The proportion of Level 1 of English among second-year high school students also decreased slightly, from 9.3 percent in 2022 to 8.7 percent last year. The proportion of Level 3 and 4 (moderate to excellent) of English among middle school seniors increased from 55.9 percent in 2022 to 62.9 percent last year.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, "Teachers cited the revitalization of (English) speaking classes, which were difficult to do during the coronavirus pandemic, as the reason for the improvement of basic education." An education expert said, "English is also easier to supplement through private education than other subjects.” However, the proportion of students who rated deficient in English has not recovered to the level before the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, the nationwide scholastic achievement test was conducted on about 3 percent (24,706) of all students in the third year of middle school and the second year of high school. The test determines the degree of achievement at Levels 1 to 4 through tests in Korean, mathematics, and English. From 2017, it has been conducted on a sample of students rather than entire students.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.