The government’s recent move to unify the high school curriculum ― currently divided into two fields of study ― has raised concerns that the revision will not help achieve its desired purpose of fostering a well-rounded education.

The Education Ministry’s plan centers on schools integrating humanities and natural science programs by 2017. The current system has prompted criticism that the division between fields of study causes students to neglect subjects that are not tested on the college entrance exam, known here as the Suneung.

For example, as humanities students only have to take basic math courses, 38.6 percent of these students scraped by with just the minimum score in the subject in 2014. Experts have also pointed out the severe lack of history knowledge among science majors.

All Korean students are currently mandated to choose one of the two divisions when they reach the second year of high school. Each student has to take 10 hours per week in each of five subjects: math, Korean, English, science and social studies, but they have the freedom to choose the specific courses.

“(The curriculum overhaul) aims to allow students to grow into creative individuals by acquiring the fundamental knowledge about both the humanities and science and technology,” said Kim Shin-ho, the deputy minister of education.

The new course plan requires every student to take certain advanced courses for each of the five major subjects, which means even humanities students will have to take some advanced mathematics classes. In addition, for the newly created integrated science and social studies ― which will cover history, ethics, politics and law ― all students will use the same textbook.

Ideally, the revamped curriculum will provide students the foundation needed to acquire a wide range of skills later in life.

But experts have expressed concerns that the practical applications of the new plan may yield different results from its initial goals.

Cheong Jean-gon, a professor of education at Hanyang University, said that the new program will mean nothing if the colleges continue to accept the existing categorization of students when making entrance decisions. “In order for the changes to take effect, the authorities must revise the college entrance program and Suneung accordingly,” he said.

“The government plan is about removing the barriers so that each student can freely choose whatever college he or she wishes to go to. But if colleges say, ‘We want students who study math or physics in depth for our mathematics and engineering departments,’ there is nothing we can do about that.”

In Korea, many of the college admissions revolve around the Suneung, which the government is slated to announce a revision for in 2017.

According to Education Ministry officials, the government is considering several options, including making students take all five major subjects and take some advanced courses, and requiring students to take math, Korean and English while letting them choose between science and social studies.

Each plan has its fair share of skeptics. The first option, for example, would create a substantial workload for students who are already stressed out: An Education Ministry study in May showed that nearly half of all high school students are sleep-deprived.

If they follow the second plan, it will hardly serve the purpose of removing the barrier between fields of study.

“Once we start talking about the Suneung, then the talks about curriculum reform can be tossed aside. We should finish off the overhaul before we discuss the Suneung,” said a ministry official.

With the government having taken an ambiguous stance, students remain confused over the ongoing changes as they are unsure of whether or not to change their tactics for preparing for the crucial college entrance exam.

“It is highly questionable that a ‘revolutionary’ reform of the Suneung will occur, but even so, it would lead to drastic changes in college entrance. This in turn would add to the chaos in the education circles,” said Im Seong-ho, an educational consultant and the head of Haneul Education.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)