English test intended to get students back to schools, but parents turn to private academies


The government is working on the National English Ability Test to replace the English section of the current state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test from 2015.

Government officials say the new test is designed to reduce students’ dependence on private tutoring and strengthen school education. The focus of the test will change from reading comprehension to speaking and writing.

But while the test is intended to lessen the need for parents to send their children to private academies, some are already doing just that in response to the plan.

“I’ve been troubled by the news about the NEAT because my kid isn’t good at English. It took him too many private lessons to read and solve written tests. Now he needs to speak and write well. I don’t know how many years it will take him to be good at it,” a mother wrote in an online community for parents seeking private tutors named “How to Choose a Good Academy.”

Private academies, or hagwon, are moving fast to capitalize on parents’ concerns. Many tout that their English curriculum has been adapted to the NEAT.

“We held NEAT information sessions four times last year, and all of the sessions were fully booked very quickly,” said Kang Ju-hyun, publicity manager of Neungyule, which produced NEAT textbooks late last year.

The other long-term goal of the test besides replacing the English part of the CSAT is to substitute for two widely accepted tests of English proficiency in Korea, TOEFL and TOEIC.

Some parents boast of finding private tutoring programs that will prepare their kids for the NEAT.

“I spotted an online English speaking program which is highly popular among mothers in Daechi-dong. I tried hard to find one after I learned that my son would take the test later,” she wrote on her blog.

Daechi-dong is a neighborhood in the southern affluent part of Seoul well known for its education fever and a cluster of hagwon.

Dilemma among teachers

As another private tutoring boom is expected for the NEAT, teachers are questioning whether the test will reduce the study burden of students as well as improve school education, according to a nationwide survey of 400 high school English teachers in 2011.

“Students are not used to speaking and writing English, rather they have a fear of them. If the school fails to prepare them enough to take the test confidently, students will feel more of a burden to study for the new test through private tutoring,” a teacher wrote in a report released by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, which is the testing and assessment institute of the NEAT.

Teachers had low expectations for the test reducing dependence on private tutoring, rating the policy’s likely effectiveness 3.13 on a scale where five was the highest.

They said school education cannot offer customized lessons to students if the average number of students per class is not reduced.

The average number of students per class was 33 in middle and high schools in 2011, according to Education Ministry data.

Choi Mi-suk, head of the parents’ association, said that 2015 will be too early for the launch of the test unless the number of students per class falls and schools are fully equipped with computers and programs suitable for the test.

“The most important thing before the implementation of the NEAT is to lower the number of students per class to 20-25,” the report suggested.

Teachers also worry that students from well-off families might score better than those from low-income families, as well-off students have more resources to practice speaking and writing, mostly through private tutoring.

Gu Yeon-hee, director of the English education policy division of the Education Ministry, said that although she expects a private tutoring boom for the next couple of years, it will subside as the ministry will offer a full prep test and begin to provide complete study materials.

“Anxiety over the new test among parents and students stems a from lack of information on the test and excessive promotion by private tutoring institutes,” Gu said.

Gu stressed speaking and writing classes will be conducted through peer practice, which is possible in classes with many students.

“The ideal English class will be ‘noisy’ as students are motivated by each other,” Gu noted. “In doing so, the government will provide full support to ensure the success of the test.”

The ministry plans to introduce a set of programs that students can use to practice for the NEAT on the website of the national education broadcasting channel EBS starting in May.

“When kids learn how to swim, they first learn from their instructor, then practice a lot. English education is similar to that. Speaking and writing for the NEAT test requires a lot of practice and we are going to assist their study fully,” Gu said.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)