Is the Surge in First-Year High School Dropouts Due to the 5-Grade GPA System? Ministry of Education Says "No Evidence"

The Ministry of Education has distanced itself from claims by the college admissions industry that the recent increase in first-year high school dropouts is due to the pressure of the 5-grade GPA system, which was implemented for first-year students last year.

After analyzing relevant statistics, the Ministry of Education concluded that the 5-grade GPA system is not the cause of the increase in first-year dropouts.

Kim Han-seung, Director of the Curriculum Operation Support Division at the Ministry of Education, explained, "The number of first-year dropouts at general high schools in the 2025 academic year, when the 5-grade system was introduced, did not increase significantly compared to the previous year," adding, "It is difficult to conclude that the 5-grade GPA system is the sole cause of the increase in dropouts."

According to the Ministry of Education, the number of first-year dropouts at general high schools had already been on an upward trend before the introduction of the 5-grade system.

The number of dropouts, which stood at 6,112 in 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, rose to 7,880 in 2022 and 9,373 in 2023, before slightly decreasing to 9,346 in 2024.

In 2025, the year the 5-grade GPA system was introduced, the number of dropouts was 10,006, an increase of 660 from the previous year. However, the Ministry of Education assessed that this increase was not significant compared to the existing trend.

The Ministry of Education also refuted claims by the admissions industry that high-achieving students are dropping out in greater numbers to reduce the burden of the 5-grade GPA system.

The Ministry stated that an analysis of the National Education Information System (NEIS) data shows the average GPA of first-year high school dropouts in the 2025 academic year was 3.7, which corresponds to a 6.7 grade under the previous 9-grade system.

Furthermore, the Ministry explained that the proportion of first-year dropouts who were top-tier (Grade 1) students last year was 6.72%, a slight increase from the previous year, but a decrease compared to 2023, two years prior.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.