In South Korea, the annual college entrance exam, known as the Suneung, significantly alters the country’s routine every November. This year, more than 550,000 students are expected to participate, marking the highest number of applicants in seven years. The exam’s implications extend beyond university admissions; it can influence job prospects, income, and personal relationships.
The Suneung features approximately 200 questions covering subjects such as Korean, mathematics, English, social and natural sciences, and Hanja. Most students endure an eight-hour testing period. However, blind students, particularly those with severe visual impairments, are allotted 1.7 times the standard testing duration, sometimes extending their exam time up to nearly 13 hours without any breaks.
For instance, 18-year-old Han Dong-hyun from the Seoul Hanbit School for the Blind will take the longest version of the exam. Last year, 111 blind students, with varying degrees of visual impairment, participated in the test. This year, Dong-hyun is preparing to manage his stamina and condition during the grueling hours of testing, particularly as the Korean language section translates to around 100 pages in braille compared to 16 pages in standard format.
Challenges also exist in the educational resources available to these students. Access to textbooks and online materials is limited, with braille versions often delayed. Student Oh Jeong-won notes that the absence of a dinner break exacerbates the fatigue during the exam, as they tackle difficult concepts with both their hands and hearing.
The National Institute of Special Education acknowledges the challenges noted by students and emphasizes its commitment to improving accessibility in educational materials. Additionally, the Korean Blind Union is pursuing measures for increased availability of braille resources, reflecting ongoing concerns regarding the educational equity of blind students within Korea’s competitive academic environment.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wv22qjq8eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss