“Now high school students are subject to the grading system and the high school credit system, so the value of having the first grade has decreased, and the only way to be competitive is through non-subject activities in a school record. The first-year high school students should start preparing for having a good school record as soon as possible."

On March 6, a staff member at a cram school in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, which we found by searching for “consulting services for the high school credit system,” encouraged anxiety, saying that other students have already started preparing for the high school credit system. When asked, “Is it necessary to get consulting services from the first year?” the staff replied, “The best time is before the first semester starts. Other students have already started in February.”

With the full implementation of the high school credit system nationwide this year, schools, students, and parents are adjusting to the new system. Some schools say they lack guidance. There are also concerns that the private education market, which is one of the fastest movers in the changing education system, will increase the polarization of education by operating consulting programs worth millions of won a semester to target parents' anxiety and lack of information.

The high school credit system is a system that allows students to select and complete courses based on their aptitude and desired career path. In the first year, high school students take classes of common subjects and choose which classes to take in the second year. The grading system for major subjects will change from a nine-grade system to a five-grade system.

Self-checklists of 60 high schools nationwide obtained by the Kyunghyang Shinmun on March 10 showed that schools are still not ready for the high school credit system. Fifteen of the 60 high schools in Seoul, North Gyeongsang Province, and other provinces said they had not informed incoming freshmen about the high school credit system until February 28. As many as 25 schools had not informed parents about the new system. Three schools had not even conducted training about it for teachers.

Sixteen of the 60 high schools had not created a basic plan to guide students who did not meet the standards. Twenty-three schools had not revised their academic policies, including attendance policies, to align with the new system. Some schools are expected to complete the remaining preparations after school starts, as the deadline for the second self-inspection by the Office of Education is the end of March. A high school teacher in Seoul said, “Managing the minimum achievement level for students is more difficult than I thought. I'm also worried about what kind of supplementary guidance I should provide to students who are underachieving, as there will be differences in their levels.”

On the other hand, the Ministry of Education said at a meeting on that day that it has completed preparations for the full implementation of the high school credit system before the start of the new semester. This is a different explanation from the chaotic situation at schools. The ministry said it has inspected each school and education office three times since June last year to check the curriculum and conduct promotional activities for students and parents.

Cram schools have taken aim at parents' anxiety caused by lack of guidance and information on the new system with the logic that “consulting services is essential as the preparation for non-subject activities has become more important.” Students and parents are worried that the introduction of the high school credit system and the five-grade system will “lower the importance of school grades in college entrance examinations.” There is a high public opinion that it is necessary to secure competitiveness other than school grades.

Cram schools are focusing on starting the management of school records as early as the first year and continuing it until the third year. ““Students have to show a story of how broadly they do research in their first year and how deeply they deepen it in the second and third years,” said a staff member from a cram school in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. ”It's better to continue getting consulting services all the way because it can't be linked to the next semester if you get consulting just for one semester.” A staff member from a non-metropolitan cram school said, “It is important to prepare a school record in advance from the first year and choose elective subjects to take in the second year. Many students have already prepared a topic research report that will be attached in their school records in January and February. It's important to get started now.”

Prices for consulting services vary widely. A cram school in Daechi-dong, Seoul, charges 3.5 million won for one semester. The price for a program with no limit on the number of editing is 6.5 million won. Another cram school offers a discount and the price is 6.1 million won for a one-year program that costs 3.9 million won for six months.