More Korean teens leave school to prepare for college entrance exams

The number of teenagers leaving school to prepare for college entrance exams is rising in South Korea. Jongno Academy said 18,661 high school students discontinued their education in 2025, and 10,006 of them were first-year students. The article says academic discontinuation includes voluntary withdrawal, expulsion and removal from school registers.

Jongno Academy based its analysis on data disclosed through School Info, a government education information portal.

Leaving school can let students build their own study schedules outside a fixed school timetable.

A research team led by Auburn University researchers reported in Sleep Medicine Reviews in February that poorer sleep quality was associated with poorer mental health.

A 2026 meta-analysis in European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found school-based physical activity programs had positive effects on both physical health and mental well-being, including reducing anxiety, depression and stress.

The National Youth Policy Institute survey found 35 percent of out-of-school youths reported mild or more severe depression symptoms, 29 percent reported anxiety and 36.8 percent showed signs of suicide risk.

Published Sep 10, 2026 11:17 am KST

Leaving school can risk students' health

The number of teenagers leaving school to prepare for college entrance exams is on the rise.

According to an analysis by Jongno Academy of data disclosed through School Info, a government education information portal, a total of 18,661 high school students discontinued their education in 2025. Of them, 10,006 were first-year high school students, accounting for more than half of the total. The category of “academic discontinuation” includes voluntary withdrawal, expulsion and removal from school registers.

Leaving school allows students to break away from a fixed school schedule and organize their days according to their own study plans. However, dropping out does not simply mean a change in the learning environment. It can also significantly alter their daily routines and lifestyle.

Sleep schedules can become disrupted

Schools provide clear time structures, including fixed hours for arriving at school, attending classes and eating lunch. Students are required to wake up at a set time, while classes and breaks follow a regular pattern.

By contrast, students who leave school and continue preparing for college entrance exams at home, in study rooms or at private academies have to manage their own schedules. They may study late into the night in an effort to increase their study hours or repeatedly wake up late because they no longer need to get to school the next morning.

A research team led by Auburn University researchers reported in the international journal Sleep Medicine Reviews in February that poorer sleep quality was associated with poorer mental health.

Eating habits can become irregular

Schools have designated lunch periods, and school meals can provide students with a relatively balanced selection of nutrients, including rice, side dishes, soup and vegetables.

Outside of school, however, students are responsible for deciding when and what to eat. They may skip meals while studying or rely on convenient options such as convenience-store food and delivery meals.

An irregular eating pattern and an imbalance in the three daily meals can also become a concern.

More time spent sitting

One of the activities that can easily decrease after leaving school is physical activity. At school, students have opportunities to move through physical education classes. They can also walk around the school grounds with friends or participate in sports activities after class.

By contrast, students preparing for college entrance exams may spend most of their day studying at a desk, naturally increasing the amount of time they spend sitting.

Physical activity at school does more than improve physical fitness. A 2026 meta-analysis published in the European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry journal found that school-based physical activity programs had positive effects on both the physical health and mental well-being of children and adolescents, including reducing anxiety, depression and stress.

Fewer opportunities to socialize

Students naturally form social relationships by talking with classmates during breaks and eating meals together.

Outside of school, such opportunities can become less frequent. Spending long hours studying alone at home or in a study room can reduce opportunities for face-to-face interaction with peers, potentially increasing feelings of loneliness or social isolation.

A survey of teenagers' mental health conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute found that the severity of mental health problems among youths outside the formal school system was higher than among their school-attending peers.

In particular, 35 percent of out-of-school youths reported mild or more severe symptoms of depression, while 29 percent reported anxiety and 36.8 percent showed signs of suicide risk. These rates were two to three times higher than those among youths attending school.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

在韩国，为了备战高考而辍学的青少年人数正在上升。钟路学院表示，到2025年，将有18661名高中生中断学业，其中10006人为高一新生。文章指出，学业中断包括自愿退学、被开除和从学校名册中除名。

钟路学院的分析依据是政府教育信息门户网站“学校信息”披露的数据。

离开学校后，学生可以在固定的学校课程表之外，自行制定学习计划。

由奥本大学研究人员领导的一个研究团队在 2 月份发表于《睡眠医学评论》上的报告称，睡眠质量较差与心理健康状况较差有关。

2026 年发表于《欧洲儿童与青少年精神病学》的一项荟萃​​分析发现，以学校为基础的体育活动计划对身体健康和心理健康都有积极影响，包括减少焦虑、抑郁和压力。

全国青年政策研究所的调查发现，35% 的失学青年报告有轻度或更严重的抑郁症状，29% 报告有焦虑症状，36.8% 有自杀风险迹象。

发布于2026年9月10日上午11:17（韩国标准时间）

辍学可能会危及学生的健康。

为了准备大学入学考试而辍学的青少年人数正在增加。

据钟路书院对政府教育信息门户网站“学校信息网”（School Info）公布的数据进行分析后发现，2025年共有18661名高中生辍学，其中高一新生10006人，占总数的一半以上。“学业中断”包括自愿退学、被开除和从学校名册中除名等情况。

辍学可以让学生摆脱固定的学校作息时间，根据自己的学习计划安排时间。然而，辍学不仅仅意味着学习环境的改变，它还会显著改变他们的日常生活和生活方式。

睡眠规律可能会被打乱。

学校制定了明确的时间安排，包括固定的到校时间、上课时间和午餐时间。学生需要在规定的时间起床，课程和课间休息也遵循固定的模式。

相比之下，那些离开学校后继续在家、自习室或私立辅导机构备考高考的学生，则必须自行安排时间。他们可能为了增加学习时间而熬夜，或者因为第二天不用上学而经常睡懒觉。

由奥本大学研究人员领导的一个研究团队于 2 月份在国际期刊《睡眠医学评论》上发表报告称，睡眠质量较差与心理健康状况较差有关。

饮食习惯可能会变得不规律。

学校有规定的午餐时间，学校提供的餐食可以为学生提供相对均衡的营养选择，包括米饭、配菜、汤和蔬菜。

然而，在校外，学生需要自行决定何时进食以及吃什么。他们可能会在学习期间错过正餐，或者依赖便利店食品和外卖等便捷的进餐方式。

不规律的饮食习惯和一日三餐不均衡也可能成为一个问题。

坐着的时间更多了

离开学校后，学生最容易减少的活动之一就是体育锻炼。在学校里，学生有很多机会通过体育课进行运动。他们还可以和朋友在校园里散步，或者在课后参加其他体育活动。

相比之下，准备高考的学生一天的大部分时间可能都在书桌前学习，自然会增加他们坐着的时间。

学校体育活动的好处远不止于提高身体素质。2026年发表在《欧洲儿童与青少年精神病学》杂志上的一项荟萃​​分析发现，学校体育活动项目对儿童和青少年的身心健康均有积极影响，包括减轻焦虑、抑郁和压力。

社交机会减少

学生们在课间休息时与同学交谈、一起吃饭，自然而然地建立起社交关系。

在校外，这样的机会可能会减少。长时间独自在家或自习室学习会减少与同龄人面对面交流的机会，从而可能加剧孤独感或社交孤立感。

国家青年政策研究所进行的一项青少年心理健康调查发现，未接受正规教育的青少年心理健康问题的严重程度高于在校就读的同龄人。

具体而言，35%的失学青少年报告有轻度或更严重的抑郁症状，29%报告有焦虑症状，36.8%有自杀倾向。这些比例是上学青少年的两到三倍。

本文来自韩国顶级医疗保健门户网站 Kormedi.com，由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。