Teacher notes — Discussion & Debate
Korea Cut High School Grades From Nine Levels to Five, and Your Students Have Feelings About It
- This works best with high-intermediate or advanced students who already have opinions about naesin — mixed-level classes may need the background read aloud twice.
- Expect strong reactions from students currently in grade 10 or 11; they're the first cohort living under the new scale and many have older siblings who went through the 9-tier system.
- If a student insists "nothing really changed," that's a valid position — ask them to explain what they think changed instead.
- Avoid taking a side yourself. This is genuinely contested among Korean parents and teachers too.