The Strengthening of Liberal Arts Education in High Schools with the Introduction of the High School Credit System

Abstract

By introducing a credit system instead of a unit system, the high school credit system can accelerate the learner-centered curriculum that has become common in universities. If the proportion of common essential subjects in the high school curriculum is reduced, the choice of liberal arts and the possibility of opening new subjects will increase. The purpose of this article was to track the transition process of liberal arts education in Korea, analyze the 2015 revised curriculum of high school liberal arts curriculum, and suggest improvement measures derived from the standard model of university liberal arts and basic education. In the analysis and derivation of improvement plans, the focus was on the purpose of liberal arts education, the liberal arts curriculum, and liberal arts subjects. As results of this study, it is unclear whether the liberal arts curriculum in Korea is to prepare students for university education or whether it maintains its unique identity in high school. The goal of high school liberal arts education is not set independently, so it is pushed to the periphery. According to the 2015 revised curriculum, the liberal arts area is mixed with the <i>living area</i>. The failure to set clear demarcation lines between certain areas also causes problems in the adequacy of liberal arts subjects. For example, applied studies such as pedagogy, career and occupation, health, and practical economy are included in the list of liberal arts subjects. In this article, after pointing out the urgency of a reclassification of high school liberal arts subjects, it was proposed that we should normalize high school liberal arts education and enhance its status by actively utilizing the standard model of university liberal arts and basic education of the Korea National Institute for General Education. In the future, it was predicted that the current problems revealed in light of the nature of liberal arts education could be mitigated, if not solved, through collaboration with a group of liberal arts education experts in the revision of high school liberal arts education.