By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

The country's top educational policymaker said Wednesday the government will pick half of the principals at public elementary, middle and high schools nationwide through applications from teachers.

The government plans to create a pool of talented teachers based on their competence and reputation among their colleagues to make the new system successful, said Ahn Byung-man, minister of education, science and technology.

The measure is part of plans to root out corruption in the educational sector, which Ahn reported to President Lee Myung-bak during the first policy coordination meeting on educational reform at Cheong Wa Dae.

The report came amid a widening investigation of the former superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Kong Jeong-taek, who allegedly received bribes from senior teachers while in office in exchange for helping them secure promotions.

The envisioned application-based choice of principals is expected to weaken the power of superintendents at regional educational offices, who have controlled the appointments of senior teachers.

In opening remarks, President Lee said education and science technology are the main drivers of the country's long-term economic growth, renewing his earlier pledge to eradicate educational corruption.

"Educational reform is the No. 1 issue for me this year," Lee said. "We have to improve growth potential to achieve sustainable economic development. Only education and science can make this possible."

The monthly meeting of senior policymakers and experts from the private sector was launched last month to discuss ways to reform education and improve services for parents and students. It also aims to improve public schooling and curb excessive household spending on private teaching.

"The country's future is bright only after we complete educational reform now. Educational fundamentals should be improved so that all people, rich or poor, can get quality services," Lee said.

"It is time to reform the system to make it better fit for a new environment in the 21st century."

It was the latest in a series of remarks on educational reform in recent weeks.

Corruption among education officials and violent behavior by students have made headlines here.

The education ministry has allowed universities to hire admissions officers to select some of their intake on the basis of talent, rather than test scores as part of efforts to reform the college entrance system.

Lee said Korea has nurtured superb human resources through education, making it one of the major economic powers in the world, as U.S. President Barack Obama has repeatedly pointed out.

Obama has said on several occasions that his country needs to learn from South Korea's education system, which includes longer school days and additional after-school programs. He also has praised Korean parents for their enthusiasm in providing an excellent education for their children.

Presidential aides said the monthly meeting reflects Lee's resolve to uproot corruption and fight soaring private education spending in the third year of his single five-year term.

The country's spending on private schooling, including tuition costs for private cram schools and expenses on study materials, have grown by some 20 percent annually.

South Koreans spent 21.6 trillion won ($18.7 billion) on private instruction in 2009 alone.

The session will be held on Wednesday in the third week of every month for a year mainly at schools and other education-related facilities, according to the presidential office.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr