Decisions have been made to enhance art and physical education (P.E.) for middle and high school students. Taking Daejeon education office for an example, art and P.E. will not be limited to elite groups. The range of art and P.E. will be expanded to ordinary students and related programs that lead to careers will also be introduced. The new policy superficially seems to be paving the way for bright future in teenage education. However, numerous questions doubting its positive effects show there exist obvious limitations.

The increase in the private education fee and the changing trend of the college admission system in Korea has fostered the decision to improve art and P.E. Compared to 2015, expenses of private art and P.E. are on the rise and demand is also on steady increase. Thus, the public education system is making an effort to compensate for the problem. Also, there has been a shift to a more comprehensive document examination in college admissions, requiring high school students, or even some middle schoolers, to refine not only their regular subjects but also art and P.E. 

The expansion policy clearly provides benefits for teenagers. Art and P.E. play a crucial role in developing personality. It grants students the opportunity to gain confidence, and achievement in cooperation skills. Students learn to communicate their emotions through art and relieve stress by joining in physical activities. These experiences enrich their lives and should be considered an essential part of education.

However, it apparently has weaknesses that reduce the credibility of its positive outcome. It is questionable if the policy will genuinely benefit the students, when its background lies in the change of trend in college admission. Those classes may exist in name only and students will bring books to study. Since the fundamental issue is in the overly heated competition to get into college, mere expansion of art and P.E. might face its limits. 

It should also be pointed out that public schools should provide aid for students who are physically or mentally handicapped. Although the government supports students to participate more in art and P.E., handicapped students unavoidably lag far behind. They are much more easily exposed to danger and have difficulty moving, which makes them sit back like fish out of water. The Ministry of Education should additionally provide complementary policies for handicapped students. 

The fact that the background of facilitating the art and P.E. in secondary schools lies in the increase of demand in private education and trend of college admission shows a defective aspect of Korean education. In order for the policy to turn out positively, practical support should be provided as well. Art and P.E classes should operate according to their original purpose without being abused. Assistance for handicapped students needs to be granted to promote an equally beneficial education, and school facilities need renovating to withstand limitations such as the yellow dust phenomena. Fundamental backing from the government clearly is an indispensable factor of promoting art and P.E. in middle and high schools.

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