The French daily Le Monde has severely criticized South Korea’s education system.

The daily said that South Korean students’ excellent performance in international academic assessments doesn’t trump the negative aspects of South Korea’s education system, which the paper claims result in excessive competition among students.

Le Monde said that South Korean students spend nearly 15 hours a day at school.

It also mentioned a popular Korean saying that students will be able to enter college if they sleep four hours a day but will fail if they sleep five hours a day.

Le Monde said that although the South Korean government is seeking to reform the college entrance exam system, the majority of South Koreans think that educational reform is premature. It said that South Koreans are accustomed to rating people and that they naturally accept the notion that success can be achieved through study.