Dropouts at elite high schools hit 5-year low after grading reform

First-year dropouts fall 22.5% in debut year of 5-tier grading system

189 students across 73 schools — lowest in five years

Analysts cite eased grade pressure and specialized curricula

The number of first-year students dropping out of gifted schools, specialized high schools and nationwide autonomous private high schools hit a five-year low last year, the first year the five-tier internal grading system was applied. Pictured is Inhwa Girls' High School in Michuhol-gu, Incheon. [Yonhap]

The number of first-year students dropping out of gifted schools, specialized high schools and nationwide autonomous private high schools fell to its lowest level in five years last year, the first year South Korea's five-tier internal grading system took effect.

Analysts attributed the decline to reduced pressure from internal assessments and growing expectations that school-specific curricula would help students in university admissions. However, dropout numbers rose at locally designated autonomous private high schools, pointing to differences across school types.

According to data released Thursday by Jongno Academy analyzing dropout and transfer figures at elite high schools, 189 first-year students left their schools last year across 73 gifted, specialized and nationwide autonomous private high schools. That was down 55 students, or 22.5 percent, from 244 the previous year.

The analysis covered 28 foreign language high schools, 10 nationwide autonomous private high schools, eight international high schools, 20 science high schools and seven gifted schools. The Korea Science Academy of KAIST was excluded because it does not publicly disclose the relevant data.

First-year dropout numbers at these schools climbed from 194 in 2021 to 218 in 2022 and 284 in 2023, then fell for two consecutive years — to 244 in 2024 and 189 last year. Compared with the 2023 peak, the figure has dropped by 95 students, or 33.5 percent.

A chart from Jongno Academy analyzing dropout and transfer figures at specialized and autonomous private high schools. [Provided by Jongno Academy]

By school type, foreign language high schools recorded the highest number of first-year dropouts last year at 116, followed by nationwide autonomous private high schools at 43, international high schools at 15, science high schools at 13 and gifted schools at two. In contrast, locally designated autonomous private high schools saw their first-year dropout count rise by 25, from 131 in 2024 to 156 last year.

The number of students transferring to other schools also declined. First-year transfers across gifted, specialized and all autonomous private high schools — including locally designated ones — totaled 714 last year, down 88, or 11.0 percent, from 802 the previous year. The figure was the lowest in five years, following 881 in 2021, 843 in 2022, 796 in 2023 and 802 in 2024.

Transfers from locally designated autonomous private high schools fell from 476 to 420. Foreign language high schools dropped from 193 to 184, international high schools from 32 to 26, science high schools from 27 to 11, and gifted schools from two to one. Nationwide autonomous private high schools held steady at 72.

Jongno Academy attributed the overall decline to the shift to the five-tier grading system and the full rollout of the high school credit system. "The switch to five-tier grading has eased the pressure on grades, and there is an expectation that school-specific curricula will help in rolling admissions evaluations," said Im Seong-ho, head of Jongno Academy. "Students may have concluded that staying at their school — even at some disadvantage in internal grades — gives them a better shot at university admission."

brunch@heraldcorp.com