Ministry of Education's Abolishment of Autonomous Private High Schools Called a 'Success,' Possible Reversal Under New Government

Boasting Five Years of Achievements in Education
But Losing All Lawsuits on Private High School Cancellations and Transition Team Plans to Maintain Policy

The Ministry of Education cited the conversion of autonomous private high schools, international high schools, and foreign language high schools into general high schools as a policy achievement over the past five years. Having lost all lawsuits challenging the cancellation of designations and with the new government leaning toward maintaining autonomous private high schools, the Ministry of Education is expected to reverse its own "achievement."

In the "Five-Year Policy Achievements in Education" published on the 21st, the Ministry of Education explicitly stated that "the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was amended in February 2020 to convert autonomous private high schools and others into general high schools." The ministry also presented trends in the competition rates for autonomous private high schools. Over the past four years, the competition rates were 1.46:1 in 2018, 1.26:1 in 2019, 1.31:1 in 2020, and 1.19:1 in 2021.

The Ministry of Education also prepared support measures such as conversion support funds to encourage the early conversion of autonomous private high schools. Since the Moon Jae-in administration implemented policies to abolish autonomous private high schools, these schools have faced difficulties in recruiting new students and worsening financial difficulties. Factors such as the blind high school admission system and simplification of student record entries were also cited as contributing to recruitment challenges. Since 2019, seven schools have converted to general high schools. With the abolition of autonomous private high schools coinciding with the implementation of the high school credit system, these schools reluctantly chose to convert to general high schools.

Since the new government has shifted toward maintaining autonomous private high schools, the Ministry of Education’s self-praise is likely to become a blemish in the future, as it will have to overturn its own policies. The new government’s transition committee included a plan to withdraw the policy to abolish autonomous private, foreign language, and international high schools in its national agenda and reported it to President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. Earlier, Kim In-cheol, the nominee for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, also clearly opposed the abolition of autonomous private high schools.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education withdrew its appeal in January against the cancellation of designation lawsuits for seven autonomous private high schools in Seoul. Previously, in the second trial lawsuit of Busan Haeundae High School, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education lost, and as defeat became likely, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also withdrew its appeal.

Song Ki-chang, a professor in the Department of Education at Sookmyung Women’s University, said, "It is true that the autonomous private high school system has become an opportunity for society to reflect on its pros and cons, but simply abolishing autonomous private high schools is not the only answer. From the perspective of policy continuity and stability, it is appropriate to improve the flawed parts, and it is not desirable to overturn policies promoted by the previous government. The new government should also take this as a lesson."

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