1. High School Diversification 300 Project
A policy for the introduction of Meister high schools was promoted as part of the
“High School Diversification 300 Project.” This project was promoted to improve school education by drastically eliminating the standardized regulations for schools and diversifying the system and operation of schools. In particular, the project had three policy goals for: establishing 150 dormitory-type public high schools, building 100 autonomous private high schools, and promoting 50 Meister high schools.
At a time when graduates from the existing technical high schools inevitably advanced to college/university and the relevant schools lost their primary functions, the objectives of Meister high schools were to change technical high schools into “favored schools that appeal to every student” and convert training institutions for simple skilled workers into Meister training institutions that create․retain innovative technology and creative goods by making a job career pathway system with the characteristics of specification and diversification for the promotion of the national industrial technology and the guarantee of sustainable development. In other words, the policy for promoting Meister high schools is to make industrial technology dream schools as
“schools that anyone can choose depending on one’s aptitude,” “schools that provide a decent job within the same sector,” and “schools that make it possible for students to advance to college/university in the same field without interruption of their studies.” In addition, the policy is to gradually convert 50 vocational high schools into Meister high schools that make the most of students’ characteristics and opportunities and to encourage local autonomous governments and industries to participate in the operation of schools.
2) Center for Meister Schools (2011). pp. 4-8.
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2. Basic Plan for the Development of Korean-style Meister High Schools
A “Basic Plan for the Development of Korean-style Meister High Schools” was promoted as part of the High School Diversification 300 Project. The main purpose of the basic plan was to provide technical high school students with future aspirations and visions in an attempt to help them to become experts in specific fields, depending on their talents and aptitude. The basic plan is aimed at converting excellent technical high schools, which provide career development through stable employment and an opportunity to obtain degrees in the workplace, into Meister high schools. The main contents of the plan include: ① establishing a “Meister” career path, ② reforming the educational regulations of Meister high schools, and ③ providing national support and promotion (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2008).
Article 91 (2) of the “Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act” states that Meister high schools are defined as high schools tailored to industrial demand. More specifically, the Act stipulated that Meister high schools shall be “high schools that provide tailored curricula directly connected to the demands of industry for the development of professional vocational education.” The career path of Meister high school graduates is to obtain college/university degrees through continuing education after the employment first of all. More details are shown in [Figure 5-1].
Table 5-1 ❙Main contents of basic plan for the development of Korean-style Meister high schools
Classification Main contents
Establish “Meister” career path
• Improve methods to fulfill the military service for technical high school graduates.
• Expand opportunities to acquire college/university degrees through continuing education after students are employed.
• Promote overseas employment.
Reform educational regulations of Meister high schools
• Manage the curriculum and textbooks autonomously.
• Implement open recruitment for principals.
• Secure Meister high school teachers.
Provide national support․promotion
• Provide free tuition and scholarship for technical high schools.
• Offer overseas vocational high schools training (studying abroad).
• Prepare facilities such as dormitories/equipment for practical training.
Source: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2008)
Figure 5-1 ❙ Model for the career path of Meister high school graduates
3. The Policy Trends of Meister High Schools3)
Since then, the support project/system for specialized high schools/Meister high schools has been promoted through Meister high school-related policies, including the Policy for Advancement of High School Vocational Education (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2010), A Project for the Establishment of a Hopeful Ladder for Education (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2011c), A Plan for the Construction of an Educational System with Simultaneous Learning and Employment (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2011a), and A Plan for Implementing an Open Employment Society for Mutual Prosperity (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2011b). Such projects achieved good results: the strengthening of global competence, the improvement of key competencies, the support of Meister high school/specialized high school industry-academic cooperation by public organizations, the promotion of graduates’ employment through an employment quota system, the improvement of military service, a support system for career development after graduation, and the improvement of conditions for “Employment
3) Jang, et al. (2014). pp. 19-34
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First, Advancement to University Later.”
Moreover, the Park Geun-hye government proceeded with a policy for “Strengthening Education for Skilled Manpower Training,” therefore ensuring the continuity of the policy for promoting the employment of high school graduates and the Advancement to University Later policy implemented by the former government, which required the preconditions of the establishment of infrastructure and making of being education for training skilled workers solid. In this context, the current government announced promotion plans starting from 2014 that include the promotion of Meister high schools, the strengthening of the framework by continuously promoting the employment of high school graduates, and the expansion of opportunities for employed workers’
advancement to university later and career development.