Teachers' Unions Call for Urgent Measures to Address Declining Academic Achievement and Regional Gaps

Teachers' unions have urged education authorities to devise measures to address the decline in basic academic skills, following the "2025 National Assessment of Educational Achievement" results, which showed that one in seven middle school third-graders has a very low level of achievement in mathematics.

The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) emphasized, "The 2025 National Assessment of Educational Achievement results are statistical proof of the decline in academic ability that we have been feeling and warning about in schools every day."

They further analyzed, "The sharp increase in the proportion of students at 'Level 1'—the most vulnerable group in reaching curriculum standards—in middle school mathematics, along with the overall downward trend in academic achievement, should be interpreted as an indicator that the foundation of public education is crumbling. It is a situation that requires immediate measures to be established and presented."

In addition, the KFTA pointed out, "Except for high school English, the proportion of students reaching 'Level 3 or higher' has shown a downward trend compared to the previous year in almost all subjects, including middle school Korean, math, and English, as well as high school Korean and math."

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) also stated in a commentary, "The proportion of middle school third-graders at 'Level 3 or higher' in Korean, math, and English was more than 10 percentage points higher in large cities than in town and township areas, revealing a significant regional gap in academic achievement."

In response, the KTU emphasized, "The Ministry of Education must present effective, national-level measures to resolve learning deficits and regional learning gaps."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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