Sixth National Curriculum (to March 2000)
The Sixth National Curriculum was partially revised in 1997 to introduce the teaching of English as a core subject at elementary school level. Introduction was gradual, one Grade per year, from March 1997 onwards, 27 and English remains a core subject in the Seventh National Curriculum revision.
This move towards English language teaching at elementary school level reflected a concern to encourage Korean students to learn more about the West in a 'greater globalisation' programme. It was intended that the introduction of the study of the English language at an early age should help young South Koreans become more internationally-minded. The changes were a response to the Government's desire for the Republic of Korea to become a prominent member of the international community. Elementary school students were encouraged to study the West's culture, including its food, sports and ways of life.57
Sixth National Curriculum - time allocation
Elementary School Curriculum - Minimum Instructional Hours (40 minutes) by Subject and Grade/Year Level during 34 School Weeks a Year (30 'academic' study weeks in Grade/Year 1, plus an additional four weeks of 'orientation' activities)
| Subject | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
| Moral education (a) | 60 | 68 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Korean language | 210 | 238 | 238 | 204 | 204 | 204 |
| Mathematics | 120 | 136 | 136 | 136 | 170 | 170 |
| Social studies (b) | 102 | 102 | 136 | 136 | ||
| Science (b) | 120 | 136 | 102 | 136 | 136 | 136 |
| Physical education (c) | 180 | 238 | 102 | 102 | 102 | 102 |
| Music (c) | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | ||
| Fine arts (c) | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | ||
| Practical arts | - | - | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| English | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | ||
| Extra-curricular activities | 30 | 34 | 34 | 68 | 68 | 68 |
| Optional courses (school discretionary activities) | - | - | 0-34 | 0-34 | 0-34 | 0-34 |
| TOTAL MINIMUM INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS (40 minutes in elementary school) | 790(70) (d) | 850 | 986-1020 | 1,020-1,054 | 1,088-1,122 | 1,088-1,122 |
Notes:
(a) In Years 1 and 2, the moral education course was replaced by 'disciplined life'.
(b) In Years 1 and 2, social studies and science were combined in a course entitled 'intelligent life'.
(c) In Years 1 and 2, physical education, music and fine were are combined in a 'pleasant life' course.
(d) In Year 1, 70 hours of the total 790 instructional hours is allocated to an orientation programme during the month of March.
(e) One instructional hour was 40 minutes 27
Time allocation under the Sixth National Curriculum (1995-2001 in junior high school)
Lower Secondary Curriculum - Minimum Number of Instructional Hours (45 minutes each) by Subject and Grade/Year Level during 34 School Weeks a Year 45,24
| Subject | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Compulsory subjects: | |||
| Moral education | 68 | 68 | 68 |
| Korean language | 136 | 170 | 170 |
| Mathematics | 136 | 136 | 136 |
| Social studies | 102 | 136 | 136 |
| Science | 136 | 136 | 136 |
| Physical education | 102 | 102 | 102 |
| Music | 68 | 34-68 | 34-68 |
| Fine arts | 68 | 34-68 | 34-68 |
| Home economics | 68 | 34 | 34 |
| Technology and industry | 34 | 68 | 68 |
| English | 136 | 136 | 136 |
| 'Elective' subjects (a) | 34-68 | 34-68 | 34-68 |
| Chinese characters and classics | |||
| Computer science | |||
| Environmental studies | |||
| Others | |||
| Extra-curricular activities | 34-68 | 34-68 | 34-68 |
| TOTAL | 1,156 | 1,156 | 1,156 |
The previous Sixth National Curriculum: compulsory subjects in general/academic high schools
Under the Sixth National Curriculum, the upper secondary high school curriculum included individual subjects and extracurricular activities. Subjects were subdivided into general and specialised subjects.46
General subjects consisted of 13 subject areas:
The subject areas in general/academic high school were offered in three types of courses:
Specialised subjects included courses of study in the areas of:
These were again offered in three types of courses - compulsory courses for streams, compulsory courses for departments/tracks and elective (optional) courses for departments/tracks - the content of which was again determined by the Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development, the MPEA and the school/educational establishment respectively.46
Extracurricular activities included classroom activities; school activities; club activities and group activities.46
Students in academic high schools, for example, where advanced general education was practised all studied the same subjects (followed the same courses) in the first year of high school education (aged 15-16). In the second year, they selected an optional track from either the humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, or vocational training according to their aptitude and interest. Most students, however, concentrated on preparation for university. A credit system operated and students had to achieve the required number of credits to graduate.43
General/academic high school curriculum, subjects studied
| Subject areas | Common compulsory courses | Compulsory courses for tracks * | Elective courses for tracks * |
| Ethics | Ethics (6) | Subjects excluded from the | |
| Korean language | Korean language (10) | Speech (4); Reading (4); Composition (6); Grammar (4); Literature (8) | compulsory courses (8) |
| Chinese characters and classics | Chinese characters & classics I (6); Chinese characters & classics II (4) | ||
| Mathematics | Common mathematics (8) | Mathematics I (10); Mathematics II (10); Practical mathematics (8) | |
| Social studies | Common social studies (8); Korean history (6) | Politics (4); Economics (4); Society and culture (4); World history (6); World geography (6) | |
| Science | Common science (8) | Physics I (4); Physics II (8); Chemistry I (4); Chemistry II (8); Biology I (4); Biology II (8); Earth science I (4); Earth science II (8) | |
| Physical education | Physical education I (8) | Physical education II (6) | |
| Military training | Military training (6) | ||
| Music | Music I (4) | Music II (4) | |
| Fine arts | Fine arts I (4) | Fine arts II (4) | |
| Vocational education & home economics | Technology (8): Home economics (8); Agriculture (6); Industry (6); Commerce (6); Fishery (6); House keeping (6); Information industry (6); Career and vocation (6) | ||
| Foreign languages | Common English (8) | English I (8); English II (8); English comprehension (6)' English conversation (6); Practical English (6); German I (6); German II (6); French I (6); French II (6); Spanish I (6); Spanish II (6); Chinese I (6); Chinese II (6); Japanese I (6); Japanese II (6); Russian I (6); Russian II (6) | |
| Free optionals | Philosophy; logic; psychology; education; life economy; religion; environmental science; and others | ||
| Total units | 70 | 106 | 12 |
| Extracurricular activities | Classroom activities and club activities (12) Group activities (4) |
*The academic high school aiming to provide general education could establish tracks such as a humanities and social sciences track, a natural sciences track, a vocational track, or others, if there was demand for these from students. These could be implemented from year 2 of high school education (students aged 16+) providing they ensured links between a student's high school course and his/her future career path.
The figures in parentheses represent the number of units to be completed. One unit indicates the amount of school learning undertaken by a 50-minute instruction per week for one semester, equivalent to 17 weeks.
Under the Sixth National high school curriculum, 94 per cent (192 units/hours of instruction of 50 minutes each) of the courses were required (compulsory) and only five per cent (12 units/instructional 50-minute hours) were optional. Since even optional courses were offered in accordance with the subjects for which the school had teachers, students in fact had little real room for choice. Furthermore, the number of mandatory courses to be completed was so large that students were overwhelmed with compulsory courses.26
Sixth National Curriculum - subjects in vocational high schools
The curriculum in vocational high schools usually comprised 40 - 60 per cent general courses and 60-40 per cent vocational courses, which placed equal emphasis on theory and practice. Students were expected to complete a total of 204 study units over the three years of the course. 15 Three-year vocational high school courses under the Sixth National Curriculum usually included a period of one to six months field training, usually in the form of early employment. 26
| Year | Grade | Subjects tested | Sample size |
| 1987 | First grade of high school, aged 15-16 | Korean Language, Mathematics, English | 1 per cent of total student body |
| First grade of junior high school, students aged 12-13 | Korean Language, Mathematics, English | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Second grade of high school, aged 16-17 | Korean Language, Korean History, Mathematics, English, Moral Education | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| 1989 | Grades 4 and 6 of elementary school, students aged 9-10 and 11-12 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science | 1 per cent of total student body of each Grade |
| 1990 | First grade of junior high school, age 12-13 | All subjects | 1 per cent of total student body |
| 1991 | Grades 4 and 6 of elementary school, students aged 9-10 and 11-12 | Korean Language, Mathematics | 1 per cent of total student body of each Grade |
| 1992 | Second grade of junior high school, age 13-14 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Science, English | 1 per cent of total student body |
| First grade of high school, age 15-16 | Moral Education, Korean language, Korean History, Politics, Economics, Mathematics, Earth Science, Biology, English | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Grade 4 of elementary school, age 9-10 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Third grade of junior high school, aged 14-15 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Third grade of high school, age 17-18 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Grades 4 and 6 of elementary school, aged 9-10 and 11-12 respectively | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Third grade of junior high school, age 14-15 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Third grade of high school, age 17-18 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English | 1 per cent of total student body | |
| Grades 3 and 5 of elementary school, aged 8-9 and 10-11 respectively | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science | 1 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| Second grade of junior high school, age 13-14 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English, Chinese Characters and Classics, Moral Education, Korean History, Technology | 0.5 per cent of total student body | |
| 1995 | Second grade of high school, age 16-17 | Korean language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English, Chinese Characters and Classics, Moral Education, Korean History, Technology | 0.5 per cent of total student body |
| First and second grade of junior high school, age 12-13 and 13-14 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English | 1 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| First and second grade of high school, age 15-16 and 16-17 respectively | Age 15-16 - Korean Language, Mathematics, common Social Studies, common Science, common English Age 16-17 - Korean Language, Mathematics, English |
1 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| Grades 4 and 6 of elementary school, ages 9-10 and 11-12 respectively | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science | 1 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| First and second grade of junior high school, age 12-13 and 13-14 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English | 1 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| First and second grade of high school, age 15-16 and 16-17 | Age 15-16 - Korean Language, Mathematics, common Social Studies, common Science, common English Age 16-17 - Korean Language, Mathematics, English |
1 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| Grades 4 and 6 of elementary school, ages 9-10 and 11-12 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science | 0.5 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| First and second grade of junior high school, age 12-13 and 13-14 | Korean Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, English | 0.5 per cent of total student body of each Grade | |
| First and second grade of high school, age 15-16 and 16-17 | Age 15-16 - Korean Language, common Mathematics, common Social Studies, common Science, common English Age 16-17 - Korean Language, Mathematics, English |
0.5 per cent of total student body of each grade |
The NIEE (National Institute of Educational Evaluation) administered
national scholastic achievement assessment at elementary school
, junior high school, and high school level from 1987 to 1997.
Since 1998, KICE (Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation)
has been in charge of this form of assessment.
Source: KOREA INSTITUTE OF CURRICULUM AND EVALUATION (KICE) (1999).