Recently, many Koreans have begun to pay attention to AP. AP (Advanced Placement) are university level courses that high school students take. They are common in the USA. Seoul Science High School (SSHS) introduced the graduation credit system as the first step to introduce the American educational system. It breaks Korean high school’s grade system by offer college credits in high school.  With this system, high school students can graduate earlier by taking extra credits. The AP system is not recognized in Korea yet, but Seoul National University offered AP courses last year in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science, and it turned out to be a controversial issue in Korea. One professor said, "AP is a global trend, so the Korean government should support this system. Actually a number of Korean students studying abroad is on the rise. If we introduce AP in Korea, and offer the AP test, students can get some credit when they go to a university abroad." SSHS also recently introduced a graduation credit system similar to AP. This program has a lot of arguments for and against it in Korea, because it would be too difficult for high school students to take both college classes and prepare for the SAT. Also, some say it doesn’t fit the educational style of Korea. One student argued, "The relationship between universities and high schools in Korea is not well connected so it would be difficult for a Korean high school student to take  a lecture at a university. Also, it would cost too much time and money to establish the connection between them." On the other hand, there are voices supporting this system for positive reasons. First, high school students can take appropriate classes divided into general, intensive and special courses for their self-development and graduate from high school earlier.
 It is not easy to suddenly accept the American educational system in Korean society. Imitating a good educational system of another country can increase the quality of our education. Korea’s current educational system, however, is deeply rooted in our society and it might bring tremendous confusion if it were changed all at once. We have discussed many methods but only a few have been implemented for this reason. The graduation credit system, therefore, should be thoroughly discussed from all sides so that it can be introduced in keeping with Korea’s educational sentiment.

THE KOOKMIN REVIEW Reporter Park Su Jeen - 2010/05/03