A Total of 325 Reports on Private Education Cartel... 4 Cases Referred for Investigation Including Collusion

Announcement of Operation Results for Private Education Cartel and Corruption Reporting Center

The Ministry of Education has requested a police investigation into four cases suspected of private education cartels, including collusion between instructors at large entrance exam academies and individuals involved in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) question setting. Additionally, it has requested the Fair Trade Commission to investigate 25 cases of widespread irregularities such as false and exaggerated advertisements.

On the 7th, the Ministry of Education announced the results of the operation of the Private Education Cartel and Irregularities Reporting Center's intensive reporting period at the government Sejong Complex.

Previously, the Ministry of Education operated an intensive reporting period for private education cartels and irregularities for two weeks from the 22nd of last month to the 6th of this month, receiving a total of 325 reports. The reports varied, including suspicions of collusion between private education companies and the CSAT question-setting system, and reports of excessive collection of tuition fees, categorized into private education cartel reports and private education irregularity reports.

Jang Sang-yoon, Vice Minister of Education, is conducting a joint inspection of private academies in Seoul on the afternoon of the 4th in relation to reports of private education cartels and corruption.
[Photo by Ministry of Education]

First, private education cartels refer to some private education companies forming alliances for private gain to exploit the entrance exam system through illicit or illegal means, with 81 reports received.

Among these, the Ministry of Education requested a police investigation into two cases, including one where an instructor at a large entrance exam academy met with a CSAT question-setting official during class and mentioned expected problem types. For a case where it was advertised that CSAT question setters participated in the production of CSAT workbooks, the Ministry requested an investigation by the Fair Trade Commission.

The Ministry also plans to request investigations into two cases where instructors at large entrance exam academies purchased questions from current teachers with CSAT question-setting experience to produce materials, and cases suspected of collusion between private education and the CSAT question-setting system.

Additionally, the Ministry plans to request the Fair Trade Commission to investigate nine cases where academies, instructors, and mock exam companies are linked in a way that shares and expands mutual benefits, compelling students to purchase bundled items such as tuition fees, academy textbooks, instructor materials, mock exams, and even notebooks.

There were also 285 reports of private education irregularities, including violations of tuition fee posting obligations, limits on the number of students per classroom, and prohibitions on false and exaggerated advertisements.

The Ministry of Education requested the Fair Trade Commission to investigate 10 cases of false and exaggerated advertisements by some large entrance exam academies and plans to request investigations into five additional cases on the 7th.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Education and metropolitan and provincial offices of education conducted joint inspections of 25 academies based on the reports, uncovering unauthorized facility modifications to accommodate excess students, violations of tuition fee posting obligations, and took strict measures such as penalty points, fines, corrective orders, suspension of instruction, and prosecutions.

Even after the intensive reporting period ends, the Ministry of Education will continue to operate the reporting center and, through an intergovernmental council, cooperate with related agencies to enforce strict measures against private education cartels and irregularities. In particular, the Fair Trade Commission and the National Police Agency will establish separate reporting channels to enable a more prompt response system.

Moreover, the Ministry of Education plans to closely communicate with metropolitan and provincial offices of education to prepare institutional improvement measures in the second half of the year regarding forced purchases of bundled materials and excessive tuition fee collection.

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