On October 13, 2008. A national academic achievement assessment (known as the unified exam) was conducted nationwide, targeting 6th-grade elementary, 3rd-grade middle school, and 1st-grade high school students. Ahead of this exam, some teachers sent a 'Letter from the Homeroom Teacher' to parents. The letter contained educators' concerns about the impact the unified exam would have on students and the educational field, and informed that an experiential learning option could be chosen if one did not wish to participate in the exam. Subsequently, some students and parents opted for experiential learning instead of this exam. The teachers were then subjected to severe disciplinary actions, including dismissal and termination, for the reasons of 'allowing students to participate in experiential learning', 'informing them of the choice to take this exam', and 'disobeying the state's orders as public officials'.