While the first Daean Hakgyo (lit. "alternative school") was established in the 1970s, the alternative education became known to the public in the 1990s. However, until well into the 2000s, many people thought that such a school system was for "troublemakers" as they were not accredited by the Ministry of Education and thus provided no diploma. Students who attended these schools had to take Geomjeong-goshi (High School Equivalency Diploma test), which was and is highly stigmatized.