Young people are losing faith in an elitist education system. “If you don’t have the ability then blame your parents,” wrote Jung Yoo-ra on social media in 2014, after being accepted into a famous university. Her mother, it turns out, had gone to great lengths to secure a spot for her, persuading Ehwa Women’s University to alter its admissions policy in a manner tailor-made for Ms. Jung.
Last month a court ruled that the nine people involved in this deception had fundamentally shaken the “values of fairness of our society”. Above all, the “feelings of emptiness and betrayal they caused in hardworking students” could not be excused.
University was once seen as a source of social mobility in South Korea. But so important is the right degree to a student’s prospects in life that rich families began spending heavily on coaching to improve their children’s chances, leaving poorer families behind.
By 2007 over three-quarters of students were receiving some form of private tuition, maximizing the three necessities to win a place at a good university: “father’s wealth, mother’s information, child’s diligence”.
Many South Koreans believe that the rich and influential do not just spend more on education, they also manipulate the system, as Ms. Jung’s mother, a close friend of the previous president, did so spectacularly.
According to the Pew Research Centre, a think-tank, only a fifth of those aged 18-33 believe that working hard brings success. An ever-growing dictionary of slang proves the perception: people speak of using “back” (backing, or connections) to get jobs; when Ms. Jung refused to return to South Korea to face charges related to her university admission, the local press described it as a “gold-spoon escape”.
51. It can be inferred from the article that Jung
A.was admitted into the university without the slightest effort. |
B.believed children's prospect was determined by their parents' capability. |
C.was spared a legal punishment because of her connection. |
D.held a strong belief in social mobility in Korea. |
52. The feeling of betrayal and emptiness comes from
A.Ms. Jung’s ignorance in the university admission |
B.their lack of resources to support their children |
C.the decline in the elite education system |
D.the loss of education equality and social mobility opportunity |
53. Why do only a few people stick to the belief that success comes from hard work?
A.The purse of their parents is a determining factor in success. |
B.They feel inferior to their rich peers. |
C.Rich people take great pains in the educating their children |
D.The good-spoon escape has shaken their value. |