By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

A total of 457 elementary and secondary schools across the nation have been selected as schools that will attempt to free their students from private tutoring. To do this through upgrading curricula and other programs, the schools will receive subsidies from the government.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said Tuesday that about 1,000 schools applied for the project and 160 elementary, 142 middle and 155 high schools had been picked. The ministry said it gave priority to schools in rural and other low-income areas.

The selected schools will receive an average of 130 million won ($102,000) per year ― the government plans to spend about 60 billion won on the project this year.

The ``private tutoring-free schools'' are expected to run tailor-made programs or after-school classes with the special budget as well as hire more teachers.

The schools are obliged to regularly survey private cram school costs of their students and report it to the ministry. Those who fail to reduce private education costs will no longer be entitled to the subsidies.

The ministry plans to increase the number of schools to 10,000 by 2012 by investing more money in the project.

kswho@koreatimes.co.kr