[Opinion] Can Private Education Expenses Be Reduced?

In early last month, the Ministry of Education and Statistics Korea announced the results of the 2020 survey on private education expenses for elementary, middle, and high school students. Subsequently, the Ministry of Education analyzed the main characteristics of the private education expenses survey results and announced corresponding countermeasures. Although the total amount of private education expenses and participation in private education generally decreased compared to the previous year due to the COVID-19 situation, high school private education expenses slightly increased, and the gap in private education participation rates by income level also somewhat widened. This was the largest decrease in total private education expenses and participation rates since the government officially began surveying private education expenses in 2007, but considering the COVID-19 situation, it does not hold significant meaning. It can be seen as a slight pause rather than a reduction in private education expenses.

That private education for high school students actually increased and the gap by income level widened indicates that the Ministry of Education’s measures to reduce private education expenses were not effective. Despite numerous policies to reduce private education expenses being implemented to the extent that it is difficult to even mention them all, is there still a need for ‘another countermeasure’?

By definition, private education is a private domain, not a public one. The reason the tutoring ban clause was ruled unconstitutional was that the government excessively controlled the private domain. The government aims for public education without private education, while individuals want public education that resembles private education. This means a state where everyone can enter the university they desire, and this is possible solely through school education. This is impossible without assuming a state where there are no individual differences among all people and all universities and departments are the same.

Statistics Korea categorized the purposes of private education into school class supplementation, advanced learning, college entrance preparation, hobbies/culture/talent development, childcare/anxiety relief/making friends, etc., but the response options were not mutually exclusive. School class supplementation and advanced learning, as well as hobbies/culture and talent development, and childcare/anxiety relief/making friends are not unrelated to college entrance preparation. It is no exaggeration to say that all private education for elementary, middle, and high school students converges on college entrance preparation.

If the ultimate purpose of private education is college entrance preparation, private education will not disappear or decrease even if public education is enhanced, the entrance examination system is improved, after-school programs are activated, or complete learning is assumed where all students reach learning objectives at school. This is because private education is a means for university admission. Unless all universities nationwide are integrated into a single network and anyone can enter any desired department?an impossible state?private education will exist as long as competition exists, and the private education expenses of individuals participating in the competition will not decrease. Advancement to higher education is determined by relative ranking rather than learning ability.

The government’s policy to reduce private education expenses should focus on reducing the number of individuals entering private education competition. If not attending university does not lead to social or personnel discrimination, and wage gaps between educational backgrounds and occupations are eliminated, the number of people participating in private education competition will drastically decrease. It is important to acknowledge that reducing private education expenses is a policy goal achievable not through education policy but through wage policy, employment policy, and personnel policy.

Only when education policy frees itself from the myth of reducing private education expenses can it truly focus on the essence of education. The Ministry of Education should continuously pursue policies to enhance public education. However, the illusion that private education can be reduced through enhancing public education must be abandoned. That is not a goal achievable through enhancing public education.

Song Ki-chang, Professor, Department of Education, Sookmyung Women’s University

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