Digitalization, Individualization, and Meritocracy: Korean Education Policy to Resolve Educational Inequalities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Academic Outcomes During Times of Crises. Hanging Onto Hope: Studying the Dynamics of Schooling in Times of Crisis

Abstract

This study critically examined the Korean government policy to resolve educational inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 18 educational policy documents released by the Ministry of Education were collected and analyzed based on the approach to policy as discourse. The results showed that the Korean education policy efforts were characterized by the digitalization and individualization to resolve the academic achievement gap, ensuring the equal access to meritocratic competition, and the ignorance of students’ needs and lived experiences. The findings of this study suggest that the current policy on educational inequalities needs to be critically reexamined to strengthen public education pursuing the common good and promote the learning and growth of students as whole persons.

Authors

• Seungwoo Hwang, Michigan State University

• Kyounghye Seo, Ewha Womans University