Learning no longer takes place as effectively as it did before in most current Korean classrooms. Many teachers have voiced concerns about a notably reduced level of students' interest in and enthusiasm for learning school materials, lack of students' attention to their lectures, and lack of students' involvement in classroom activities. This negative change, which has been observed since around 1997, is often referred to as "school collapse" in Korea, meaning classroom breakdown. The paper investigates the factors that have lead to the phenomenon of the school collapse, introduces the 7th National Curriculum as one of the new reform approaches of the Korean government, and makes some suggestions to ensure more autonomy and diversity in classrooms to promote effective teaching and learning. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)