By Bahk Eun-ji
The monthly costs of private education per student at primary and secondary schools stood at 239,000 won in 2013, up 3,000 won or 1.3 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Thursday.
It is the first time in four years that individual private tutoring costs appear to have reversed a downward trend.
According to research conducted by MOE with 78,000 parents from 1,094 of elementary, middle and high schools nationwide, the total amount of expenses for private education came in at 18.6 trillion won in 2013, down 2.3 percent from a year earlier.
Citing that total private education costs have fallen over the past four years, the ministry claims that private cram school costs are falling, but most parents don't buy that.
The total number of students fell to 6.48 million in 2013 from 6.72 million in 2012.
Private tutoring costs for elementary school students stood at 7.7 trillion won, middle school was 5.8 trillion won and 5.1 trillion won for high school students in 2013.
On top of the falling number of students, after-school programs provided by public schools helped cut the total private education costs, said Lee Hye-sook, a senior ministry official.
However, parents and teachers said the survey results don't reflect reality.
"I only paid 100,000 to 150,000 won for one subject at a private institute or ‘hagwon' for my daughter, but now I have to pay up to 300,000 won. I feel I shoulder more of a burden these days, but the government is telling a totally different story," said Park Chang-soo, a parent in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.
Park, who has two daughters ― one in elementary school and the other in high school ― said his daughters still have to go to hagwon although they participate in afternoon school programs.
"Most of my daughters' friends go to hagwon, so it's kind of a must for them to go, and hagwon costs are increasing steadily," Park said.
Kim Hye-hyun, another parent in Seoul, said the costs for hagwon have kept increasing.
"The government claims that total private education costs are falling, but I don't believe it. I'm paying greater hagwon costs every year for my children," Kim said.
The monthly costs of private education per student at primary and secondary schools stood at 239,000 won in 2013, up 3,000 won or 1.3 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Thursday.
It is the first time in four years that individual private tutoring costs appear to have reversed a downward trend.
According to research conducted by MOE with 78,000 parents from 1,094 of elementary, middle and high schools nationwide, the total amount of expenses for private education came in at 18.6 trillion won in 2013, down 2.3 percent from a year earlier.
Citing that total private education costs have fallen over the past four years, the ministry claims that private cram school costs are falling, but most parents don't buy that.
The total number of students fell to 6.48 million in 2013 from 6.72 million in 2012.
Private tutoring costs for elementary school students stood at 7.7 trillion won, middle school was 5.8 trillion won and 5.1 trillion won for high school students in 2013.
On top of the falling number of students, after-school programs provided by public schools helped cut the total private education costs, said Lee Hye-sook, a senior ministry official.
However, parents and teachers said the survey results don't reflect reality.
"I only paid 100,000 to 150,000 won for one subject at a private institute or ‘hagwon' for my daughter, but now I have to pay up to 300,000 won. I feel I shoulder more of a burden these days, but the government is telling a totally different story," said Park Chang-soo, a parent in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.
Park, who has two daughters ― one in elementary school and the other in high school ― said his daughters still have to go to hagwon although they participate in afternoon school programs.
"Most of my daughters' friends go to hagwon, so it's kind of a must for them to go, and hagwon costs are increasing steadily," Park said.
Kim Hye-hyun, another parent in Seoul, said the costs for hagwon have kept increasing.
"The government claims that total private education costs are falling, but I don't believe it. I'm paying greater hagwon costs every year for my children," Kim said.
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