Jeonbuk Superintendent of Education Kim Seung-hwan Sharply Criticizes Current Government for Failing to Set Direction in Education Reform...

National Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Education Superintendents Chairman Opens Fire with About One Month Left in Term

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Geon-ju] Kim Seung-hwan, Superintendent of Education for Jeonbuk Province, opened fire on the failure of education reform just over a month before the end of his term as chairman of the National Council of Superintendents of Education.

At a press conference held on the 2nd at the provincial education office press room, Superintendent Kim expressed dissatisfaction with the current government’s lack of effort regarding free education for first-year high school students and education reform.

He pointed out that free education for first-year high school students is supposed to be funded 47.5% each by the Ministry of Education and the provincial education offices, with local governments supporting 5%, but this arrangement is not being upheld.

In particular, although some provincial education offices have stepped forward to provide free education for first-year students, the government and the Ministry of Education “act as if they don’t know,” and he criticized them by saying, “Even if it means cutting other budgets, the free education promised in the presidential election pledges must be realized.”

Superintendent Kim also criticized that the three education reform proposals he advocated?university autonomy, abolition of specialized high schools, and absolute evaluation in high schools?have regressed compared to the Park administration.

Still, he expressed disappointment, saying, “President Moon showed some interest and seemed to know how to reform, but I was disappointed.”

Referring to the Minister of Education, he said, “The minister is not a closed-minded person but someone with excellent political sensibility, so if there had been harmony with the expertise of superintendents, education reform could have created significant synergy, but that did not happen, which is regrettable.”

When asked about the greatest achievement during his term as chairman, he said, “It cannot be denied that the National Council of Superintendents of Education has gained strength under the current government,” highlighting “especially that superintendents now have enough power to refuse even if the Ministry of Education orders something.”

He added, “The Ministry of Education is very good at creating work, but it is just to show that the Ministry is working, and asking for real-time monitoring of classes and quarantine means that provincial education offices are expected to play a supporting role,” drawing a clear line by saying, “The Jeonbuk Provincial Office of Education will not participate in the Ministry’s plan to create an internal monitoring team of 10,000 people.”

Superintendent Kim raised the level of criticism toward the government and the Ministry of Education, saying, “They cannot even set the direction for education reform, reforms are not happening, and there is no control tower for education reform. This is the biggest problem of the current government.”

At this event, Superintendent Kim evaluated the achievements of educational autonomy by stating that he expanded the authority of superintendents through measures such as the principal recruitment system, invited teacher system, and detailed plans for teacher qualification training.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.