Half of nat’l curriculum must be followed for accreditation
South Korean alternative schools will be granted accreditation by the government if they agree to follow at least half of the national basic curriculum. Previously, the schools operated independent of national academic accreditation. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources proposed the related bill on December 8. According to the bill, if the alternative schools follow several regulations, they will be officially accredited, meaning that they can operate autonomously. The government also set the number of school days for alternative educational institutions to a minimum of over 180 a year; regular South Korean public and private schools hold instruction for 220 days in a year, and a few so-called autonomous schools for 198 days. According to the bill, alternative schools can employ a trimester system, but are recommended to follow the current system of six years of primary school, three years of middle school and three years of high school. It falls on the superintendent of educational affairs to permit the establishment of alternative schools, but a special committee will convene to discuss important issues concerning the matter. So far, 28 alternative schools have obtained official accreditation from the government, with about 80 others operating without it.Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
