Korea takes first step toward free high school education
SEOUL. KAZINFORM - South Korea has taken a first step toward free high school education by exempting all third graders from their entire education expenses starting in the fall semester, the Ministry of Education said Monday, Yonhap reports.
As most high schools nationwideresumed classes on the day after a lengthy summer vacation, about 439,700three-year high schoolers will not pay for their education during their lastsemester, the ministry said, noting the per-student benefit amounts to 749,000won (US$620), including tuition fee, school operation support fee and textbookfee.
The free education program will beexpanded to include 880,000 second-year and third-year high schoolers next yearand 1.26 million high school students of all grades in 2021. Beginning in 2021,freshmen will be exempted from paying admission fees too.
Currently, South Korea provides free education forelementary and middle school students.
In April, the Moon Jae-ingovernment and the ruling Democratic Party agreed to implement free educationat high schools in 2021, as part of efforts to guarantee the people's right toeducation and help ordinary people reduce their expenditures on education.
The free education program willcover all types of public and private high schools, except for autonomousprivate, foreign language and art high schools.
«Free education will reduceper-student expenses by 1.58 million won a year, helping local householdsincrease their disposable income by 130,000 won every month. It will particularlybenefit marginal self-employed people, small merchants, small businessemployees and other ordinary people,» a ministry official said.
Budget for this year's free highschool education, worth 252 billion won, will be paid by regional educationoffices in the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces.
The free high school educationprogram is expected to cost about 2 trillion won annually from next year to2024.
The government, ruling party andCheong Wa Dae have submitted a bill calling on the central government andregional education offices to cover 47.5 percent of the total budget, with theremaining 5 percent shouldered by local governments.
But the bill has yet to pass theNational Assembly Education Committee, as the main opposition Liberty KoreaParty (LKP) has made a counter proposal that the free education schedule beadvanced to include all high schoolers next year. The LKP's counter proposalcame as it suspects the selective enforcement of free education for seniors, inparticular, may be pork barrel politics targeting 18-year-olds who will benewly given voting rights in next year's general elections