SM’s new ‘K-Pop’ training academy requires students to drop out of school to attend

Article: In order to gain admission to this academy, you must drop out of school… What is SM’s new private academy about?

Source: Joongang Ilbo via Nate

The article dives in depth to SM’s ‘K-Star’ private education academy that admitted its first year of students to a competition rate of 2.5:1. They cover everything from modeling to music production along with three mandatory hours of Korean, English, and math classes. Enrolling in the academy, however, does not make you a ‘trainee’ but just a student, which has incited criticism about the academy capitalizing on “dreams.”

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1. [+462, -7] And how many of them will become stars in the end?

2. [+375, -13] More factory idols

3. [+259, -34] I don’t think this is only a negative thing… The memories of focusing on something like this in your teens is helpful all throughout your life. Though yes, it is unfortunate that these kids will miss out on the memories of hanging out with their peers after school or getting in trouble with teachers – just simple memories like that. My only concern is that these kids are just being used for the profits to be gained by the adults who run this whole show and that they’re just going to be spit out in the end to nothing. Parents should be cautious about those things.

4. [+38, -0] We already have schools like SOPA and Hanlim so what more is there to learn at an academy like this?? It’s not like SM is guaranteeing that you get to debut with them at the end.

5. [+32, -0] I thought you’d be recognized as trainees at the very least.. if you’re not even a trainee, why would you pay money to attend this and even drop out of school for it;;

6. [+27, -1] What about classes in ethics, morals, and history?

7. [+18, -0] The academy needs to let them attend regular school… Just because they go to school during the day doesn’t mean their dancing or singing skills will decrease..

8. [+17, -0] This is all just a ploy for capitalism to suck them dry. These kids will never realize until they’re adults just how average, and maybe even below average, they all actually are.

9. [+17, -0] I miss the days back in the ’90s and ’00s when celebrities used to just be cast off the streets. They were more unique than the stars now.

10. [+16, -0] This academy is basically taking naive kids and ruining their lives

11. [+15, -0] If this is what they want to do, what can any of us say? Let them take responsibility for their own lives.

12. [+14, -0] This sounds kind of scary

13. [+11, -1] So they have to pay to attend all three years?

14. [+10, -0] This academy is lacking character education, tsk tsk

15. [+9, -0] They’re choosing to live 99% of their lives as backdrop characters for that 1% chance of hope

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Source: Naver

1. [+413, -17] Public education could learn a thing or two from this… that kids will stay awake for lessons if it’s something that they’re actually interested in learning about for their futures…

2. [+224, -17] I actually like this… it’s like Germany, how they have technical schools for specialty skills

3. [+155, -4] Just seems like a way for companies to cut back on trainee costs. Before, they had to cast trainees and train them for free with their own money, but with this academy system, they can have kids pay them to train and then get their pick of the talents in the end~~ Do the students who graduate and then go on to debut start to get paid right away since they have nothing they owe to the agency?

4. [+45, -0] It’s a similar system to the soccer teams. They have youth leagues that they train so they can pick them for the adult leagues later. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. These kids are able to pick if they want to do it in the end so it’s their responsibility how their future ends up.

5. [+37, -0] But dropping out of school for this? For barely a chance at even one of them from the whole school debuting? What’re you going to do later when you have no skills for a real job? Work at a bar?

6. [+26, -1] And how many of those students will actually go on to succeed ㅜ these poor kids are just being used for money ㅜ

7. [+71, -48] This is why I don’t like SM. They turn kids into products and artists into factory punch-outs. It’s all just so SM.

8. [+24, -2] It’s a good deal on SM’s end. No need to send recruiters and scouts out to cast kids everywhere. Just pick a good one from the academy. And plus, they’re all paying to be there ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

9. [+22, -2] Hey, if these kids would normally be sleeping through class in a regular school but are actually showing interest in learning because of this academy, then it’s a win-win in the end, isn’t it? Public education can’t be expected to be a fit for every type of student out there.

10. [+19, -1] So it’s like a type of alternative school. What more can we say when it’s obviously around because there’s the consumption for it. 

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