"Build Schools with Education Office Funds" Ministry of Education's 'Absurd' Notice Leaves Busan Education Office Saying "What Is This?"

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Declares Unacceptable the Conditional Approval for Establishing ‘Myeongji 5 Elementary School’
“Condition to Proceed with Own Budget” Is an Unprecedented Case

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education Building.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Kim Seok-jun) is strongly opposing the Ministry of Education's notification of budget support denial for the plan to establish a new elementary school in Myeongji International New City, Gangseo-gu.

On the 31st, the city education office expressed an unacceptable stance regarding the Ministry of Education's Central Investment Review Committee's conditional approval to proceed with the establishment of ‘Myeongji 5 Elementary School’ on the condition that it be funded with the education office's own resources.

At the second regular Central Investment Review held by the Ministry of Education in Gangneung on August 26, the city education office strongly argued the necessity of establishing an elementary school to alleviate overcrowding in existing elementary schools and improve educational conditions for students in the Myeongji area due to the continuous increase in the number of students in Myeongji International New City.

In response, the Ministry of Education notified the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education to establish ‘Myeongji 5 Elementary School’ but to proceed using its own financial resources.

The Ministry of Education's Central Investment Review Committee, as a supplementary opinion to the conditional approval, suggested recalculating demand, proceeding with the office's own resources, and re-examining the student placement plan including student enrollment rates and the number of students per class within the Myeongji district.

The Busan Office of Education stated that, until now, the Ministry of Education has borne the financial burden for school establishment under the ‘Local Education Finance Grant Act’ in cases of new school construction.

Furthermore, with an expected decrease of 357 billion KRW in the education office's budget next year due to reduced tax revenue, it is realistically difficult to accept the condition.

The establishment of ‘Myeongji 5 Elementary School’ is expected to cost more than 30 billion KRW. Therefore, after a thorough review of the Ministry of Education's notification, it has been decided to resubmit the matter to the Central Investment Review Committee.

Meanwhile, the Busan Office of Education has been continuously promoting the establishment of Myeongji 5 Elementary School since 2016, considering the steady increase in the number of students in the Myeongji area.

Kang Byung-gu, Director of Support at the Busan Office of Education, expressed frustration, saying, “The Ministry of Education's unprecedented notification to proceed with the school establishment using the education office's own resources without consultation with the education office leaves us bewildered.”

Director Kang added, “We plan to verify the facts and resubmit to the Ministry of Education as soon as possible so that the school can be established promptly.”

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