Confusing education policy

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Confusing education policy

As Kwak Seung-jun, head of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision, makes a series of regular harsh remarks aimed at cutting spending on private tutoring, the education field is becoming muddled. Parents are concerned whether the education system will be changed again. Schools are also predicting changes in the education system and becoming nervous.

The Presidential Council for National Future and Vision is an advisory council to draw up strategies for the country to prepare for the future. The regulations that define the duties of the council do not mention anything about cutting spending on private tutoring. Drawing up education policies and carrying them out are for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to do.

Kwak said he had consulted with the ministry and the Grand National Party regarding the measure, and a finalized version will be announced next month.

This is an even more serious problem. Education issues are very sensitive as they often have the potential to cause serious conflict for all the people involved.

But it is not right to release a measure on education before it is even finalized because it confuses people. It is also hard to understand why Kwak, not the education ministry, announced the plan. The Presidential Council for National Future and Vision’s duties must not go beyond simply offering advice.

It is doubtful whether the education ministry and the Grand National Party were consulted beforehand as Kwak claims. Some civil workers at the Education Ministry were perplexed and said Kwak mentioned something that had not been agreed upon. Some Grand Nationals also question the feasibility of the plan, proving there has been insufficient discussion.

When it comes to education policies, even when the ruling political party, the administration and the Blue House agree before implementing them, it is naturally difficult to satisfy all education consumers. When they disagree, the plan is unlikely to turn into a decent policy.

When government policy is confusing, the damage is passed down to the people. It was the same case with the policy to ease the transfer taxes on owners of multiple homes, which the government released last month. The government announced the plan as if it were confirmed that heavy transfer taxes on those who own more than three houses would be lifted. But the policy is most likely to be revised in the National Assembly.

Only those who trusted the government’s announcement and purchased houses will suffer damage. If this persists, trust in government policies will fall to the bottom.
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