Education Ministry rebuffs claims that 5-tier grading system is driving high school dropouts

The Ministry of Education has rebuffed claims that the introduction of a five-tier high school grading system is driving more students to drop out, saying it is difficult to attribute the increase in dropouts solely to the policy change. The ministry also said that dropping out to prepare for the College Scholastic Ability Test — a strategy sometimes called "strategic withdrawal" — cannot be considered a clear admissions advantage, given that more universities will begin incorporating school records into their regular admissions track starting with the 2028 academic year.

"The number of first-year general high school dropouts had been on a continuous upward trend even before the five-tier grading system was introduced," the ministry said Sunday. According to the ministry, the figure rose from 6,112 in the 2021 academic year to 7,880 in 2022 and 9,373 in 2023. It dipped slightly to 9,346 in 2024 before surpassing 10,000 — reaching 10,006 — in the 2025 academic year.

However, the ministry said the increase recorded in the 2025 academic year was not meaningfully larger than in previous years. The dropout count grew by 1,768 in the 2022 academic year and by 1,493 in 2023, while the 2025 increase was only 660. "Dropout decisions appear to be influenced by a complex mix of factors, including difficulties in school life stemming from interpersonal and psychological or emotional issues, overseas travel, and illness," the ministry said.

The ministry also pushed back on claims that high-achieving students are dropping out in greater numbers. According to the ministry, the average rating of first-year high school dropouts in the 2025 academic year was 3.7 under the five-tier system — equivalent to roughly 6.7 under the nine-tier system. Under the nine-tier system, the average rating for first-year dropouts was 6.2 in the 2023 academic year and 6.3 in 2024.

"First-year general high school dropouts in the 2025 academic year are confirmed to be disproportionately from lower rating bands," the ministry said. "Based on current statistics alone, it is difficult to conclude that the introduction of the five-tier grading system has increased dropouts among top-performing students."

Among first-year general high school dropouts in the 2025 academic year, students in the top rating band accounted for 6.72 percent — an increase of 52 students, or 0.68 percentage points, from the previous year. Compared with the 2023 academic year, however, the figure fell by 12 students, or 0.35 percentage points.

The ministry also said there was insufficient evidence to support claims that more students are dropping out and re-enrolling the following year to reset their school records. The number of students who left high school in the 2025 academic year and newly enrolled in the 2026 academic year grew by only 75 from the previous year, with the rate remaining unchanged. Re-enrollment and transfer figures fell by 20 from the prior year.

The ministry said dropping out to prepare for the CSAT-focused admissions track cannot be assumed to be advantageous either. Starting with the 2028 academic year, more universities will begin using school records as an evaluation factor in their regular admissions track.

Among the 16 universities subject to regulations on CSAT-focused admissions quotas, nine will newly introduce or strengthen the use of school records in their regular admissions track from the 2028 academic year. That brings the total number of universities incorporating school records into that track to 11.

Shin Jin-yong, head of the ministry's college admissions policy division, said students who dropped out for exam preparation can be assumed to have done so with the 2028 admissions cycle in mind — but that cycle has yet to take place, making it difficult to assess outcomes. "When universities announced their 2028 implementation plans, we could see a trend toward using school records in subject-based admissions and in the regular admissions track," Shin said. "That is why we said dropping out is not desirable, either emotionally or in terms of college admissions."

The ministry also expressed concern over claims that some private tutoring institutions are stoking anxiety about the five-tier grading system. "Students who hear these things cannot help but feel anxious," a ministry official said. "The published data make clear there is no solid basis for such claims."

The official added that while it cannot be said with certainty that no students are dropping out strategically, the scale of change does not warrant alarm. "Describing this as the current trend could make things harder for students on the ground," the official said.