[Letters] A good idea: grads in after-school jobs

I strongly agree with “Good use of graduates” (Editorial, March 19), which supports the plan of hiring unemployed graduates for after-school programs at elementary and middle schools. The new scheme will contribute to normalizing public education and at the same time provide job opportunities for unemployed university graduates.

Many parents are very concerned about increasing private education costs for their children. Despite the expensive burden, a majority of Korean parents are greatly interested in getting their children educated in music, art and gymnastics in order for them to become well-rounded.

One of the main reasons parents depend on private institutes for art and gymnastics education is because after-school programs lack depth, specialization and systematic management. If public schools offer a variety of after-school programs to meet parents’ and students’ needs, parents would favor in-school programs due to convenience and low cost.

Moreover, such programs would help restore public schools, after they have been disregarded in favor of market-oriented private education. Furthermore, it would help to correct inequality in educational opportunities between the haves and the have-nots.

Considering the worldwide economic recession, the government needs to make every effort to ease youth employment; otherwise, it creates serious social problems.

Opening the doors at public schools could be an excellent opportunity for unemployed university graduates to get valuable work experience. This experience could help them in their job search later, rewarding them with a sense of fulfillment and service for education in the community.

This plan bridges the gap between schools and the community by its use of an unemployed workforce in meeting the great demand to reduce parents’ budget for their children’s extracurricular studies.

Nam Hyun-ha, middle school teacher