Seoul's Superintendent of Education Jeong Geun-sik expressed the need for a cautious approach regarding the government's proposed revisions to local education funding. While the government aims to adjust the funding system under the pretext of investing in early and lifelong education, Jeong argued that these areas are already significantly managed by education offices, suggesting that support could be expanded within the existing framework.
During a press briefing on August 18, Jeong voiced his concerns about the government's moves to reform the funding system. He questioned the government's plan to establish a separate 'Future Response Fund' using excess tax revenue.
"The education office is responsible for a significant portion of early childhood education, and with the integration of daycare centers under its jurisdiction, it also supports lifelong education institutions for out-of-school youth and literacy programs," Jeong explained. He added, "Given that the education office is already actively fulfilling these roles, it is somewhat difficult to understand the rationale behind allocating separate funds for early and lifelong education." He emphasized that maintaining the current funding ratio of 20.79% of domestic tax revenue while increasing related investments would be more appropriate.
Jeong also raised serious concerns about the proposed 'economic growth rate linkage system' being considered by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He pointed out that using the average economic growth rate over the past three years would reflect periods of low economic growth.
He stated, "If the overall labor costs for the education office increase by an average of 3% each year, and the budget increase does not keep pace, it will ultimately lead to a reduction in essential educational funding for students." He cautioned that the domestic tax linkage system, which has been a strong support for human capital formation for nearly half a century since the 1970s, should be approached with caution to avoid undermining its foundation.
Jeong also expressed disappointment over the lack of communication during the revision discussions. He noted that the government's announcement regarding the funding reform, originally scheduled for August 19, was postponed due to inter-departmental coordination issues. He emphasized that the government should provide sufficient explanations to education superintendents and listen to feedback from the field, advocating for a platform to gather input from various educational organizations.
Additionally, he addressed the trend of imposing penalties on cash welfare programs such as enrollment support and field trip expenses. Jeong remarked, "These supports are essential measures to ensure students' mobility rights and alleviate economic hardships. It is unreasonable to apply excessively strict standards to education office support for students while allowing local governments to provide cash support."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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