KRIVET Issue Brief

(1)

KRIVET Issue Brief People are Our Hope

Vocational-high-school departmental reorganization trend analysis

- The department-specific subject groups at vocational high schools have been changing alongside the industry environments.

- There are simultaneous decreasing demands for the reorganization of departments into the ^“ management and finance ^” and ^“ beauty, travel, and leisure ^” subject groups and increasing demands for the reorganization of departments into the ^“ machinery, ^” ^“ cooking, ^” ^“ information technology, ^” ^“ construction, ^” and ^“ electricity and electronics ^” subject groups.

- The “ management and finance ” subject group showed a clear tendency for complete reorganization into a different subject group. The ^“ machinery, ^” ^“ construction, ^” and ^“ electricity and electronics ^” subject groups showed a tendency to be converged with other subject groups during departmental reorganization.

- According to the changes implemented in terms of the subject groups, follow-up support is demanded. Two examples of this are improvement of the National Competency Standards (NCS) categorization system and new-curriculum development or old-curriculum improvement.

01 Need for analysis and analysis data

| There is a need to analyze the recent trend of departmental reorganization as basic data for promoting internally stable departmental reorganizations at vocational high schools.

Due to the rapid decrease in the school-age population and the changes in the industrial conditions (e.g., the Fourth Industrial Revolution), there is a continuous demand for the reorganization of departments at vocational high schools.

Departmental reorganization, which used to be performed independently at the city level or at the level of the provincial Office of Education, is now being centered on the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program, which is a part of the autonomous-district control grant of 2016.

Through this program, we can pursue an internally stable departmental reorganization that takes into consideration the demands not only of the learners but also of each industry and region, and the future careers of vocational-high-school graduates. Toward this end, it is necessary to closely examine the departmental-reorganization trend in the vocational high schools nationwide.

This study aimed to determine the changes in the subject groups following departmental reorganization in vocational high schools.

| Analysis data: Information on the applications for vocational-high-school restructuring support that have been received in the last three years (2018–2020)

Object of analysis: Data on NSC subject groups by department listed in the applications for vocational-high-school restructuring support, and data on the “current status of new student admissions in 2020”

Contents and method of analysis: The changes in the NCS subject groups before and after departmental reorganization were compared and analyzed according to year, application (demand), and selection (supply).

Limitations of analysis: Although most departmental reorganizations are performed through the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program, some are done at the city level or even by provincial Office of Education. As such, the related data must be interpreted with caution.

02 Types of vocational-high-school restructuring support and participation status

| The demand for departmental reorganization at vocational high schools, which has been carried out through the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program since 2016, is steadily increasing.

The Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program is a policy program of the Ministry of Education supported by the autonomous-district control grant. It aims to encourage substantializing vocational high schools and their departmental reorganization. It started as the “Increasing the Proportion of Vocational High School Students” program in 2016 and was renamed to its current name in 2018.

Publisher: Young Sun Ra | Date of issue: December 14, 2020 | Issued by: Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET)

2020 No.201

(2)

KRIVET Issue Brief

This program supports four types of vocational-high-school restructuring: (1) departmental reorganization; (2) class expansion; (3) establishment of a base-specialized high school (school convergence or closure)¹⁾; and (4) change in school type. To achieve substantial restructuring rather than just financial support, we are setting the direction of reorganization, selecting participating schools, establishing a curriculum, monitoring, and supporting research.

Approximately 90% of the above four types of vocational-high-school restructuring supported by the program correspond to the departmental-reorganization type (91.3% based on the selected departments for the past five years).

As after its commencement in 2016 most departmental reorganizations have been carried out through the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program. It can be said that the changes related to departmental reorganization at vocational high schools can be identified through such program.

<Table 1> Current status of selections for the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program Year Total selected schools Departmental

reorganization Class expansion Change in school type Establishment of a specialized high school 2016 155 departments at 94

schools 136 departments at 86

schools - 4 departments at 3

schools 2017 126 departments at 74

schools -

2018 98 departments at 61

schools - -

schools 1 department at 1

school -

03 Distribution of NCS subject groups by department at vocational high schools in 2020

| As of 2020, 47.7% of all the departments at vocational high schools corresponded to the

“management and finance,” “electricity and electronics,” or “machinery” subject groups.

A total of 1,769 departments were being operated in 578 vocational schools as of 2020.

18.9% of the departments corresponded to the “management and finance” subject group while 14.9% and 13.8%

corresponded to the “electricity and electronics” and “machinery” subject groups, respectively. These subject groups represented the existing industrial and commercial vocational-high-school departments before they were classified into NCS subject groups.

- The “design and cultural contents,” “agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine resources,” “construction,” “information and communication,” and “beauty, tourism, and leisure” subject groups all have a high ratio of departments corresponding to them (7.9%, 6.7%, 6.4%, 6.1%, and 6.0%, respectively).

<Table 2> Distribution by NCS subject group of all vocational-high-school departments in 2020

NCS subject groups # of departments % of departments NCS subject groups # of departments % of departments

Management and finance 335 18.9 Electricity and electronics 264 14.9

Health and welfare 56 3.2 Information and communication 108 6.1

Design and cultural contents 139 7.9 Food processing 48 2.7

Beauty, tourism, and leisure 106 6.0 Printing, publishing, and crafts 11 0.6

Cooking 75 4.2 Environment and safety 2 0.1

Construction 114 6.4 Agriculture, forestry, fisheries,

and marine resources 119 6.7

Machinery 244 13.8 Ship operation 9 0.5

Materials 22 1.2 Other 19 1.1

Chemical industry 37 2.1 Common* 42 2.4

Textiles and clothing 19 1.1 Total 1,769 100.0

04 Demand for departmental reorganization into each NCS subject group through the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program, and current status of selections (2018–2020)

²⁾

| Demand for departmental reorganization into each NCS subject group through the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program, and current status of selections (2018–2020)

The NCS subject groups that showed the highest demand for departmental reorganization into over three years (2018–2020) were the “management and finance,” “design and cultural contents,” “electricity and electronics,” and “machinery” subject groups (selected by 13.8%, 11.3%, 10.9%, and 10.7% of the respondents, respectively).

However, the demand for departmental reorganization into the “management and finance” subject group was shown to be -7.2% annually and to be slowly decreasing. Meanwhile, the demands for departmental reorganization into the “health and welfare” and “beauty, tourism, and leisure” subject groups also are decreasing.

- On the other hand, the demands for departmental reorganization into the “machinery,” “food processing,” “information and communication,” “construction,” and “electricity and electronics” subject groups are growing.

The demand for departmental reorganization allowing two or more subject groups to converge accounted for more than 20% of the overall demand in 2018–2019, but it was reduced to 12.0% in 2020.

I Note I

As there were multiple selections for each type, the total of each type may be different from the overall total.

I Note I

*Common: The cases in which new students were recruited without specifying a subject group were classified as “common” and as one department. Thus, caution is needed when interpreting the total number of departments.

Data: Ministry of Education,

“Current status of new student admissions in 2020” (March 2020) I Footnote I

1) This type of vocational- high-school restructuring (establishment of a base- specialized high school [school convergence or closure]) will be excluded from the types of vocational- high-school restructuring supported by this project after 2021.

I Footnote I

2) Data from the past three years (2018–2020) were used to ensure ease of analysis and to focus on the recent changes in the subject groups.

(3)

December 14, 2020

I Note I

To determine the changes in the subject groups due to departmental reorganization, the analysis was limited to the departmental-reorganization type among the four types of vocational-high-school restructuring supported by the program.

*Converged subject group: A subject group made up of two or more subject groups put together

I Note I

To determine the changes in the subject groups due to departmental reorganization, the analysis was limited to the departmental-reorganization type among the four types of vocational-high-school restructuring supported by the program.

*Converged subject group: A subject group made up of two or more subject groups put together

- This may be due to the changes in the selection method used as supervised by the city and provincial Office of Education, or to the changes in the departmental-reorganization strategy due to the convergence of the NCS standard departments within the same subject group rather than the convergence of subject groups.

<Table 3> Distribution of subject groups of the departments that applied for vocational-high-school restructuring support (2018–2020) Subject groups that applied

Total

(3 years) 2018 2019 2020 Yearly

average +/- (%)

Subject groups that applied Total

(3 years) 2018 2019 2020 Yearly

average +/- (%)

# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

Management and finance 77 13.8 29 15.9 23 13.7 25 12.0 -7.2 Textiles and clothing 4 0.7 1 0.5 2 1.2 1 0.5 - Health and welfare 11 2.0 5 2.7 2 1.2 4 1.9 -10.6 Electricity and electronics 61 10.9 18 9.9 15 8.9 28 13.4 24.7 Design and cultural contents 63 11.3 21 11.5 20 11.9 22 10.5 2.4 Information and communication 39 7.0 10 5.5 9 5.4 20 9.6 41.4 Beauty, tourism, and leisure 46 8.2 24 13.2 7 4.2 15 7.2 -20.9 Food processing 14 2.5 5 2.7 4 2.4 5 2.4 -

Cooking 14 2.5 3 1.6 5 3.0 6 2.9 41.4 Printing, publishing, and crafts 1 0.2 0 - 1 0.6 0 - -

Construction 30 5.4 6 3.3 13 7.7 11 5.3 35.4 Environment and safety 1 0.2 1 0.5 0 - 0 - -100.0

Machinery 60 10.7 13 7.1 20 11.9 27 12.9 44.1 Agriculture, forestry, fisheries,

and marine resources 24 4.3 3 1.6 7 4.2 14 6.7 116.0 Materials 4 0.7 1 0.5 1 0.6 2 1.0 41.4 Converged subject group* 99 17.7 39 21.4 35 20.8 25 12.0 -19.9 Chemical industry 11 2.0 3 1.6 4 2.4 4 1.9 15.5 Total 559 100.0 182 100.0 168 100.0 209 100.0 7.2

| The desire to reorganize departments into the “electricity and electronics,” “machinery,” “design and cultural contents,” and “construction” subject groups is rising.

The NCS subject groups that were selected over the past three years (2018–2020) show that the “management and finance”

subject group was the most frequently selected (14.1%), with the number of vocational high schools selecting it gradually increasing. However, the total number of selected departments by year is steadily decreasing.

- On the other hand, the annual number and proportion of selected departments are gradually increasing their support for the

“design and cultural contents” and “electricity and electronics” subject groups, which is in line with the increasing demand for departmental reorganization.

For the “construction” subject group, 1 department selected it in 2018, 11 in 2019, and 8 in 2020. This shows the biggest increasing trend. The “machinery” subject group also showed an increasing trend, with 5 selecting it in 2018, 12 in 2019, and 21 in 2020.

The number of departments selecting converged subject groups increased slightly, contrary to the decrease in demand for departmental reorganization in 2020.

- One of the reasons for this is the fact that the reorganization strategy for a converged department is gradually being concretized. This means that the number of departments wishing to be reorganized into a converged subject group has risen.

<Table 4> Distribution of subject groups selected by the departments at vocational high schools for the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program (2018–2020)

Subject groups that applied

Total

(3 years) 2018 2019 2020 Yearly

average +/- (%)

Subject groups that applied

Total

(3 years) 2018 2019 2020 Yearly

average +/- (%)

# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

Management and finance 51 14.1 16 16.8 17 14.2 18 12.3 6.1 Textiles and clothing 1 0.3 0 - 1 0.8 0 - - Health and welfare 5 1.4 1 1.1 2 1.7 2 1.4 41.4 Electricity and electronics 41 11.4 10 10.5 9 7.5 22 15.1 48.3 Design and cultural

contents 43 11.9 12 12.6 13 10.8 18 12.3 22.5 Information and

communication 25 6.9 7 7.4 9 7.5 9 6.2 13.4

Beauty, tourism, and

leisure 22 6.1 14 14.7 4 3.3 4 2.7 -46.5 Food processing 10 2.8 3 3.2 3 2.5 4 2.7 15.5

Cooking 9 2.5 2 2.1 3 2.5 4 2.7 41.4 Printing, publishing, and

crafts 1 0.3 0 - 1 0.8 0 - -

Construction 20 5.5 1 1.1 11 9.2 8 5.5 182.8 Environment and safety 1 0.3 1 1.1 0 - 0 - -100.0

Machinery 38 10.5 5 5.3 12 10.0 21 14.4 104.9 Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine

resources 17 4.7 1 1.1 5 4.2 11 7.5 231.7

Materials 3 0.8 1 1.1 1 0.8 1 0.7 - Converged subject group* 65 18.0 19 20.0 26 21.7 20 13.7 2.6

Chemical industry 9 2.5 2 2.1 3 2.5 4 2.7 41.4 Total 361 100.0 95 100.0 120 100.0 146 100.0 24.0

05 Departmental-reorganization trend for each NCS subject group through the Vocational High School Restructuring Support Program (2019–2020)

³⁾

| After departmental reorganization, the proportion maintaining the current subject group was different for each subject group.

The departments corresponding to the “management and finance,” “beauty, tourism, and leisure,” and “information communication” subject groups had the highest number of cases of students leaving for another subject group or of attempts to be converged with another subject group. Notably, the approval rate of such reorganization plans was also the highest.

- On the other hand, the departments corresponding to the “design and cultural contents,” “agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine resources,” “machinery,” “construction,” and “electricity and electronics” subject groups showed a tendency to maintain the same subject groups even after reorganization, relative to the other results.

I Footnote I

3) The 2018 applications were excluded from the analysis as the provision of information on the departments’ subject groups before reorganization was not yet mandatory in such year.

(4)

KRIVET Issue Brief

｜ KRIVET Social Policy Building, Sejong National Research Complex, 370, Sicheong-daero, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea ｜ Tel: 044-415-5000/5100 ｜ www.krivet.re.kr ｜

| There are differences in the subject groups’ change trends through departmental reorganization.

Examination of the method of changing subject groups showed that the “management and finance” and “beauty, tourism, and leisure” subject groups have a noticeable tendency to be adopted through radical departmental reorganization. Often, this leads to their changing into a totally new subject group.

- On the other hand, the “construction,” “machinery,” and “agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine resources” subject groups have a higher ratio of being converged with other subject groups.

<Table 5> Changes in the subject groups of the departments that applied and were selected for vocational-high-school restructuring support (2019–2020)

Subject group before departmental

reorganization

Subject groups of the departments that applied for vocational-high-

school restructuring support (demand for reorganization) Subject groups of the departments that were selected for vocational- high-school restructuring support (supply) Total Maintained

subject groups

Change in subject groups

Total Maintained subject groups

Change in subject groups Change to a

different subject

group Converged Change to a

different subject

group Converged

Total 377 100.0 218 57.8 112 29.7 47 12.5 266 100.0 153 57.5 77 28.9 36 13.5

Management and

finance 101 100.0 45 44.6 46 45.5 10 9.9 73 100.0 33 45.2 31 42.5 9 12.3

Health and welfare 1 100.0 0 - 1 100.0 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -

Design and cultural

contents 25 100.0 20 80.0 4 16.0 1 4.0 15 100.0 11 73.3 3 20.0 1 6.7

Beauty, tourism, and

leisure 13 100.0 6 46.2 6 46.2 1 7.7 7 100.0 3 42.9 3 42.9 1 14.3

Cooking 1 100.0 0 - 0 - 1 100.0 1 100.0 0 - 0 - 1 100.0

Construction 35 100.0 24 68.6 5 14.3 6 17.1 25 100.0 19 76.0 4 16.0 2 8.0

Machinery 65 100.0 46 70.8 8 12.3 11 16.9 47 100.0 33 70.2 6 12.8 8 17.0

Materials 2 100.0 2 100.0 0 - 0 - 2 100.0 2 100.0 0 - 0 -

Chemical industry 9 100.0 7 77.8 1 11.1 1 11.1 7 100.0 6 85.7 0 - 1 14.3

Textiles and clothing 1 100.0 1 100.0 0 - 0 - 1 100.0 1 100.0 0 - 0 -

Electricity and

electronics 58 100.0 37 63.8 15 25.9 6 10.3 42 100.0 26 61.9 10 23.8 6 14.3

Information and

communication 33 100.0 16 48.5 9 27.3 8 24.2 22 100.0 8 36.4 9 40.9 5 22.7

Food processing 1 100.0 1 100.0 0 - 0 - 1 100.0 1 100.0 0 - 0 -

Printing, publishing, and crafts Environment and

safety

1 100.0 0 - 1 100.0 0 - 1 100.0 0 - 1 100.0 0 -

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine

resources 16 100.0 13 81.3 1 6.3 2 12.5 12 100.0 10 83.3 0 - 2 16.7

Connected subject

groups* 13 100.0 0 - 13 100.0 0 - 8 100.0 0 - 8 100.0 0 -

Regular subjects 2 100.0 0 - 2 100.0 0 - 2 100.0 0 - 2 100.0 0 -

06 Implication

As the industrial environment is rapidly changing, the distribution of departments (subject groups) at vocational high schools is also rapidly changing.

Considering the trend of subject group changes through departmental reorganization, the decrease of “management and finance,” “beauty, tourism, and leisure,” and “information communication” subject groups may persist.

- As the methods of departmental reorganization into subject groups are mostly radical reorganization into a totally different subject group, a more in-depth analysis of the causes of such reorganization is required. Moreover, support measures that can be taken in response to the changing industrial environment must be sought.

On the other hand, the “design and cultural contents,” “agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine resources,” “machinery,”

“construction,” and “electricity and electronics” subject groups show a tendency to be maintained even after departmental reorganization, relative to other results.

- This trend may reflect the recent industrial demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but it may also be due to the current faculty, materials, equipment, and changes to laboratories. This calls for an additional analysis of the resources and costs required for departmental reorganization.

Departmental reorganization involving convergence of a subject group with many other subject groups continues to occur significantly. More departmental reorganizations may result in the convergence of the “machinery,” “construction,” and

“information and communication” subject groups with other subject groups.

- The expansion of the converged subject groups may lower the utilization of the existing NCS subject groups and standard departments. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement the current subject groups and standard departments.

- Also, departments with converged subject groups have a high possibility of establishing an excessively ambiguous human- resource training style or of facing difficulties in designing a systematic curriculum. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously develop and distribute curricula that represent new industries.

Byun, Sook-Young (Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, KRIVET) Kim, Hojin (Researcher, KRIVET)

I Note I

*Connected subject groups:

Subject groups reorganized into a new department

**# of cases: 125 (number in 2019) + 153 (number in 2020)