Education ministry launches advisory panel for SAT reform

The Ministry of Education on Wednesday launched a committee that would advise the ministry in improving the state-administered nation-wide university entrance examination. While the committee for the improvement of the exam launched last week consists mainly of education professors, the advisory panel comprises 21 people from various walks of life representing parents groups, news media and the business community.

The advisory committee is chaired by Lee Joon-soon, head of the Students’ Education Center run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Other members include eight teachers and officials from local education offices, a lawyer, four university professors and three members of civic groups. From the media community, Lee In-cheol, a senior Dong-A Ilbo official, and Kang Hong-joon, an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo, joined the panel. Representing the business and science community are Hwang Chul-ju, head of the Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation, and Chung Jin-kap, a Keimyung University professor.

The ministry plans to overhaul the way questions of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are set and reviewed through the two committees by March next year. A new system will take effect from the SAT to be administered in late 2015.