식민지학력경쟁과 입학시험준비교육의 등장

Abstract

본 연구에서는 한국의 학교교육 특히 인문중등교육에서 나타나는 중요한 특징인 입학시험준비교육과 학력경쟁이 언제 어떻게 시작되었는가를 역사적으로 탐구하였다. 근대한국중등교육에 있어서 상급학교 진학을 위한 준비교육은 1920년대 들어서 나타난 현상인데, 그 계기가 된 것은 1922년 조선교육령의 개정이다. 당시 대표적 일반중등교육기관인 고등보통학교의 교육연한을 연장하여 상급학교와 연결되게 하고, 인문중심의 교육과정을 도입함으로써 고등보통학교 졸업생이 상급학교로 진학할 수 있는 길이 열리게 되었다. 한국인에게는 비록 제한된 기회였지만, 경성제국대학이 설립됨으로써 국내에서도 대학에 진학할 수 있게 되었다. 그리하여 1920년대부터 고등보통학교에서는 상급학교 진학을 위한 각종 준비교육이 등장하였다. 입시과목 위주의 교육, 모의고사의 실시, 진학성적에 따른 학교의 서열화 등 각종 입시준비교육과 관련된 현상이 나타나기 시작하였다. 이와 같은 입학시험 준비를 위한 교육은 학력경쟁(學歷競爭)과 함께 등장하였지만, 이 시기의 학력경쟁을 근대적 학력경쟁으로 보기는 어렵다. 이 시기의 학력경쟁은 민족간의 차별에 기초하고 있기 때문에 학력(學力)에 기초한 근대적 학력경쟁체제로 보기보다는 식민지적 학력경쟁체제로 보는 것이 타당할 것이다.

This research is a historical investigation of how and when the preparatory education of entrance examination and educational competition began, which are the major features of Korean secondary education. The preparatory educational system for higher education in modern Korean secondary education appeared since 1920s, and it was sparked by the Act of Revised Cho-sun education in 1922. Since then, the Go-deung-bo-tong school was lengthened from four-year-course to five-year-course. It also left its vocational curriculum and introduced academic curriculum, and as a result, the students gained opportunities to go on to a higher education. Although Koreans had limited opportunities, by establishing Kyung-sung Imperial University it was then possible to receive an university level education in Korea. As a result, various kinds of preparatory education for students to go on a higher education appeared from 1920s. There began to appear a new kind of educational climate that students concentrated on core subjects in the entrance examination, such as Japanese, English and Mathematics, which had the highest proportions, and, then, worked with less effort on minor subjects, such as History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Natural Science, etc. It is thought that there were many Go-deung-bo-tong schools that divided the class into the vocational class and the college preparatory class in the fourth and fifth grade. For the college preparatory class it was operated under core subjects centered curriculum for going onto higher education, and various extra teaching sessions took place after the school hours and during the vacations. Also, through the mock examination students prepared for the entrance examination and tested themselves. On the other hand, the school supported the preparatory college students by publishing magazines which provided appropriate guidance and information, and the support of principals and old members of school who were already in the higher education became prominent. Supplementary classes were established at Kyung-sung First Go-deung-bo-tong school and Kyung-sung Second Go-deung-bo-tong school for those who failed at the entrance examination. A competitive climate was formed between schools for the entrance examination, and the number of students who passed the entrance examination was compared each other. For this reason, there began a new studying atmosphere of mechanical memorizing instead of critical learning. Although this preparatory education for higher education appeared with a educational competition, it is difficult to recognize this as the modern educational competition. At that time, when it came to select students to enter the preparatory course for Kyung-sung Imperial University and other various national professional colleges, they discriminated Korean students by selecting fewer Korean students than Japanese students. They also rejected those applicants who were thought to have disturbing ideologies towards Japanese colonial government. Besides, Korean students had disadvantages compared to Japanese students since the examination was done in Japanese only. However, it is possible to conclude that the educational competition at this period is more of a colonial educational competition system rather than a mere modern educational competition system since it is based on national discrimination.