By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Parents’ bribing teachers in hopes of securing advantages for their children will on the contrary compromise the academic careers of their children, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE). if bribery is uncovered, children of parents doing this will not be allowed to receive school prizes. Although the children can win prizes from organizations outside schools, the office will not allow the prizes as recognition of academic achievement.
In addition, teachers will be banned from soliciting sponsorship of school events from parents. Parents and teachers will be subject to legal action if they are found to be embroiled in these irregularities.
While bribed teachers will not get promotions or bonuses, bribe-offering parents will face criminal charges.
``It has long been the practice for teachers to ask for financial support from parents to help school events. It is not easy for parents to reject such requests because of their children. We will eradicate the custom in cooperation with civic groups,’’ an SMOE official said.
As part of the plan, SMOE will campaign against bribery at schools with parents’ groups under the slogan ``BPEMoney-Zero’’ (Black present, entertainment money-zero).
Many parents welcomed the move but some are skeptical. ``Even though teachers don’t ask for money directly, they ask for help toward school events such as excursions or sometimes donations for school development,’’ said a mother of elementary school students in Seoul.
SMOE said that schools can carry out these within their annual education budgets. However, many schools have complained they lack funds.
According to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, middle school operation funds supported by parents have been increased over the past few years _ from 330 billion won in 2004 to 350 billion won in 2005 and further to 370 billion in 2006.