Dropping Out of College: Pandemic’s Impact on Grades & Social Skills

[헤럴드경제=전새날·김용재 기자] The educational gap that arose after the pandemic went beyond the gap in grades and spread to the early departure of middle and lower class students. Some students who are pushed out of the classroom are leaving school or failing to adapt. Experts point out that beyond supplementing grades, structural support is needed to keep students in school.

The Ministry of Education has been trying to prevent learning deficits through the ‘First Comprehensive Plan to Guarantee Basic Academic Achievement’ starting in 2022. The problem is that the policy’s performance indicators are focused on academic recovery, such as the rate of conducting diagnostic assessments or reaching basic academic qualifications. Another limitation is that it was designed based on the assumption that students would remain in school. There is no concern about the structure to catch students who have already failed to adapt to school and are at risk of leaving.

Experts pointed out that polarization is growing, citing structural deficits after the pandemic.

Professor Park Nam-gi of Gwangju National University of Education diagnosed that structural deficits occurred in students’ ability to adapt to school and communicate during the pandemic. He said, “The adjustment deficit caused by the interruption of school life is not being resolved in a short period of time and is accumulating,” and “As this generation moves to higher grades, it appears that interaction in the classroom and participation in learning itself are becoming difficult.”

Yang Jeong-ho, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, also believed that the characteristics of the Corona generation are acting as a factor in widening the gap. He explained, “Students who have gone through this period are more accustomed to independent activities than collaborating or presenting, and they also show differences from before in terms of learning persistence and motivation. These characteristics can further widen the gap between top students who can continue learning on their own and those who cannot.”

The gap that has arisen among students who have experienced the pandemic does not stop at grades but leads to departure.

Professor Yang pointed out, “Students with weaker basic academic skills need to be managed more carefully at school, but there is a lack of a system to systematically support this,” adding, “Especially in the process of moving up to a higher level school, management and attention are cut off, and some students end up in a situation where they are virtually neglected.”

He added, “The structure is such that you can only receive support if you stay in school, but once you leave school, there is almost no additional support, so you are in an even bigger blind spot.”

In actual practice, school maladjustment appears to be a more direct problem than the grade gap. “Most of the students who come to the entrusted institution are unable to adapt to school due to social issues such as peer relationships rather than grades,” said Koo Ja-song, chairman of Arang School, an alternative education institution located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.

Chairman Koo said, “Schools hold on to students during the compulsory education stage, but when they enter high school, maladjusted students are often actually encouraged to drop out. Ultimately, rather than students making their own choices, the structure is such that they are pushed out of school and moved to entrusted institutions or qualification exams.”

In particular, the departure is more noticeable among vulnerable groups. Chairman Koo said, “Students who did not receive care and learning support at home during non-face-to-face classes were left with their basic academic skills collapsed,” adding, “There are many cases where they are ultimately forced to drop out or take the qualification exam.” He then emphasized, “Discontinuation of education is closer to the result of being structurally pushed out rather than a personal choice.”

As the need for complex support was pointed out, the Ministry of Education began to identify at-risk students by implementing customized integrated support for students (school integration) starting in March of this year. However, some point out in the field that concerns about leaving are increasing due to concerns about stigma.

Chairman Koo said, “After the introduction of the school-to-school program, the number of counseling cases for students in crisis has more than doubled compared to before. In the past, teachers took care of students directly with discretion and a sense of duty, but after institutionalization, external linkages were prioritized according to established procedures, so we had no choice but to respond passively in the field.” He added, “During the linkage process, as the student’s situation becomes known to those around them, there are cases where students are reluctant to seek counseling due to concerns about the stigmatization effect.”

They unanimously emphasized that the focus of the policy should be shifted from sexual recovery to preventing deviation. Professor Park pointed out, “There is a system in place to support students with learning difficulties, but it is difficult to operate properly in the field if it is not supported by manpower and budget,” and added, “We need a structural approach that goes beyond simple learning support and allows students to stay in school.”

Chairman Koo said, “Students who have gone through the COVID-19 period are often unable to withstand conflict due to their lack of community experience and leave,” adding, “We need an approach that not only provides academic support but also restores social skills and school adaptation.”

newday@heraldcorp.com

brunch@heraldcorp.com