Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Warns Seoul Practical Music High School of Closure over Accounting Fraud and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that if Seoul Practical Music High School, which has been accused of accounting fraud and other issues, fails to comply with corrective orders, it will take follow-up measures such as closing the school.

At the Alternative School Establishment and Operation Committee held on the 21st, the Seoul Office of Education received a report on the operation results of the Comprehensive Task Force for the Normalization of Seoul Practical Music High School and reached a consensus that issuing a comprehensive corrective order and follow-up measures such as school closure are inevitable. The comprehensive corrective order covers a total of 14 items, including ▲ prohibition of operating unapproved departments and academic operations within approved facilities ▲ change approval due to increase in the number of classes ▲ prohibition of disadvantageous measures against whistleblowers ▲ measures against suspects of sexual crimes, among others.

Seoul Practical Music High School violated laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act regarding the school's facilities, equipment, academics, and teacher personnel. It was reported that students were made to attend private academies operated by relatives of the school's founder, and contrary to Ministry of Education regulations, students were required to pay separate fees for school tuition and academy tuition. Last year, school officials were investigated by the police on charges of embezzlement. Additionally, due to salary issues, the re-contracting of 17 teachers failed, resulting in inadequate classes, leading students and parents to refuse classes and payment of tuition fees.

The Seoul Office of Education judged that Seoul Practical Music High School's self-help efforts were insufficient despite about 11 months of special supervision, comprehensive audits, complaint audits, consulting, and operation of the comprehensive task force. The education office urged, "We ask the founder and principal of Seoul Practical Music High School to actively make efforts for improvement" and demanded that they "do their best to guarantee the learning rights of currently enrolled students."

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