Jung Geun-sik, Shin Jang-sik hold talks at Seoul education office Friday

Both sides back keeping grants tied to 20.79% of domestic tax revenue

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Korean Council of Superintendents and the Rebuilding Korea Party have agreed to jointly oppose the government's proposed overhaul of the local education finance grant system. Pictured is Seoul Superintendent of Education Jung Geun-sik. [Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education]
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Korean Council of Superintendents and the Rebuilding Korea Party have agreed to jointly oppose the government's proposed overhaul of the local education finance grant system. Pictured is Seoul Superintendent of Education Jung Geun-sik. [Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education]

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Korean Council of Superintendents and the Rebuilding Korea Party have agreed to jointly oppose the government's proposed overhaul of the local education finance grant system. The three parties aligned on preserving the current formula, which allocates 20.79 percent of domestic tax revenue to education grants. They also plan to review related legislation together and organize a National Assembly forum open to teachers and parents.

Seoul Superintendent of Education Jung Geun-sik, who chairs the Korean Council of Superintendents, held talks Friday morning at the Seoul education office with Rebuilding Korea Party leader Shin Jang-sik and other party leadership. Policy committee chair Kim Seon-min and Assembly member Kang Gyeong-suk of the National Assembly's education committee also attended.

Both sides warned that abolishing the domestic tax linkage would weaken the stability of education funding and could affect local education autonomy. They said the government should reconsider any reform premised on cutting education budgets simply because student enrollment is declining, or on the assumption that education offices have been managing their budgets inefficiently.

"If the government's reform pushes to expand the authority of fiscal authorities, the principles of decentralization and education autonomy could be undermined," Shin said. "Budgets should be set based on what schools actually need, and a long-term national plan for education and care funding must be put in place."

The Rebuilding Korea Party agreed to discuss legislative alternatives starting from the premise of maintaining the 20.79 percent domestic tax linkage. The party plans to review the Local Education Finance Grants Act and the Future Response Fund Act in consultation with the council of superintendents.

The parties also plan to hold a National Assembly forum bringing together superintendents, teachers and parents to examine how changes to the grant system would affect schools and to discuss alternatives. The specific schedule and format will be determined through further consultations.

"Schools still face many challenges — improving aging facilities, creating future-oriented learning spaces, and expanding student-tailored education and welfare programs," Jung said. "The domestic tax linkage for local education finance grants has been a vital mechanism underpinning stable education funding."


brunch@heraldcorp.com