Passing the ‘entrance exam hell’ of 500 years ago
It takes more than 10 years to memorize 1000 books
College entrance exam corruption is also rampant amid inter-party competition
◇Joseon, Falling into Exam Hell/Written by Lee Han/328 pages/18,000 won/Wisdom House
“These days, parents teach their children to read and write when they can barely speak, and what they desire is to pass the state exam and to have wealth and honor. If someone talks about the way to study, they laugh and criticize him.”
This article reminds us of the private education situation in modern society, such as early education and advanced learning, is a content that denounces the excessive educational enthusiasm of the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. Education is considered important because it is responsible for the future of the community, but in reality, it is sometimes more important as a means to gain wealth, fame, and power. Even in the Joseon Dynasty, 500 years ago, the myriad forms of ‘entrance exam hell’ unfolded.
The book, based on official records such as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, letters from Toegye Yi Hwang, and the collected works of Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, explains the educational views and civil service examination system of the Joseon Dynasty. The Joseon Dynasty was a class-based society, but even if a nobleman did not pass the civil service examination and obtain a government position, he would not only be respected, but he would also not have a way to make a living. To do this, he had to memorize more than 1,000 books and hone his writing skills and handwriting, which took at least 10 years and up to 20-30 years.
Against this backdrop, private education fever blew, and the curriculum was often corrupted by cheating and college entrance exam corruption. Jeong Yak-yong sent letters from his exile asking about his sons’ academic achievements and urging them to study, and Yi Hwang, who preached to his disciples to follow the path of true scholarship, also urged his son to pass the state examination by any means necessary. There were also parents who abused their children because of greed, like King Yeongjo, who drove Crown Prince Sado crazy. They were called “almyo,” meaning “people who pull out sprouts.”
During the mid-Joseon period, when the factional strife intensified, college entrance exam corruption was rampant for each faction to expand their power. During the reign of King Sukjong, a ridiculous incident occurred in which a Seoin person raised his hand to an examiner who was looking for the son of a Namin influential person at the examination hall and passed the examination. During the reign of King Sukjong, a 40m bamboo pipe connecting the inside and outside of Sungkyunkwan was discovered. It was assumed that it was used to secretly exchange test papers and answer sheets, but due to lack of evidence, it remained an unsolved case. This type of power-based college entrance exam corruption continued until the end of the Joseon period. No, it seems that unfair college entrance exam competition is still holding back our society.
Reporter Kim Min [email protected]
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2024-08-10 02:31:00