Conflict grows over 'elite' schools

By Chung Hyun-chae

Cho Hee-yeon Top educator in Seoul

A standoff between the Ministry of Education and Seoul’s liberal-minded education authorities over educational policies is escalating, throwing parents and students into confusion.

On Thursday, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), headed by liberal Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, reaffirmed that it will deprive eight of 25 “elite” high schools in Seoul of their licenses despite repeated objections against this from the ministry.

The eight schools are Pai Chai High School, Sehwa High School, Kyunghee High School, Soongmoon High School, Shinil High School, Ewha Womans University High School, Choong Ang High School and Wooshin High School.

The elite schools, referred to as “autonomous” because they are given more freedom in picking students and setting up teaching curricula, were introduced under the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Their fate has become increasingly uncertain since the inauguration of liberal superintendents, who have vowed to scrap the schools as part of efforts to reduce the educational gap between students and “normalize” education.

Cho’s hard-line stance on the schools has triggered protests from the ministry and conservative groups.

At a press conference, Cho said the eight autonomous schools failed to meet requirements for extension of their licenses.

“They will be converted into ordinary ones,” Cho said.

Cho said that he will consult with the ministry to seek their “understanding” about his decision. However, the ministry said it will take all possible measures to prevent the move.

“We have no intention to consult with the SMOE over the issue,” Park Sung-min, a ministry official, said in a telephone interview.

The ministry earlier vowed to submit a revision bill to deprive superintendents of their rights regarding the operation of autonomous schools. The ministry is seeking to make it compulsory for superintendents to get approval from the ministry for any decisions regarding these schools.

Indeed, the SMOE’s move to scrap the elite schools is reigniting ideological disputes in the educational sector.

“We cannot accept it. As soon as the superintendent declares an official statement on abolishment of autonomous private schools, we will make an audit request to the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea,” Yang Soon-jie, head of a parents’ association for autonomous high schools, told the Korea Times.