Middle School Education

Since 1969, students are not required to take entrance tests to get into middle school. Students interested in entering middle school are placed in the school closest to where they live and are expected to complete the middle school curriculum in three years. In 2002, free compulsory middle school education was enacted. In 2004, all middle school students started to receive free compulsory education. The purpose of middle school education is to develop the basic competencies and sensibilities necessary for daily life in a democratic society based on the foundations of elementary education that they have received.

High School Education

The purpose of high school education is to foster the ability to pave career paths fit for the students’ individual talents and aptitudes based on their performance in middle school and to strengthen the essential skills needed to function as citizens of a democratic society. Seoul also offers high schools that specialize in foreign-languages, international studies, science, arts, physical education, and vocational skills to develop the potential of naturally gifted students to the full extent.