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Sun, January 29, 2023 | 15:14
-------------------------
Education minister to face daunting tasks
'이준식호' 교육 당면과제 산더미…누리과정 첫 시험대
Posted : 2016-01-13 17:08
Updated : 2016-01-13 21:59
Kim Se-jeong
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Lee Joon-sik, who was sworn in as education minister Wednesday, speaks during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in this Jan. 7 file photo. / Yonhap
Lee Joon-sik, who was sworn in as education minister Wednesday, speaks during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in this Jan. 7 file photo. / Yonhap

By Kim Se-jeong


New Education Minister Lee Joon-sik, who was sworn in Wednesday, faces daunting tasks which have recently sparked controversy.

Lee is expected to first deal with the Nuri Curriculum, a free preschool program for children aged three to five, which began in 2013. The program, one of President Park Geun-hye's campaign pledges, is now on the verge of collapse amid intensifying conflict between the ministry and 17 education offices.

The education ministry vowed not to hand out support, while the education offices protest the program can't go on without financial backing from central government. Many education offices failed to draw up a budget for this year's program, and even if they were to set aside money this week, parents of students will not benefit in some regions.

The new minister has already received criticism from regional educators for a remark he made that he would pressure education offices to continue the program during his confirmation hearing.

During the hearing, Lee's qualifications were questioned. He said the free preschool program was a welfare policy supervised by the Ministry of Health and Welfare alone. In reality, both the health and education ministries are responsible for the program, with the health ministry responsible for daycare centers and the education ministry for kindergartens.

According to the ministry, Lee will meet superintendents from education offices, Jan. 18, to detail the legal interpretations and financial conditions.

The controversy over the state-authored history textbooks will also gain momentum. The National Institute of Korean History will likely belatedly announce the guidelines which 46 authors will use in writing the books for middle and high schools. The minister already stated his strong support for the project.

"I believe the state authoring textbooks is the right thing to do," Lee said during the hearing. "Who writes them isn't so important. To me, what's more important is their content - to keep it neutral and unbiased."

Critics of the project said a single textbook will rob students of the freedom to learn different perspectives. Also, they said the government is only interested in embellishing the legacy of former dictator Park Chung-hee, the father of the incumbent President.

Students will start using the textbooks in the spring semester next year, and the books are expected to be written by November.

Despite the fierce opposition, the ministry went ahead with the plan, recruiting a group of authors but refusing to reveal their identities. It said the anonymity was to keep the authors independent and free, while critics say secrecy only reinforces the invalidity of the project.

Reform of higher education is also one of the minister's priorities. The ministry has been spearheading efforts to consolidate universities in recent years, and also pushing for them to form close ties with the private sector. The new minister had pursued a similar goal during his time at Seoul National University.


'이준식호' 교육 당면과제 산더미…누리과정 첫 시험대

18일 시도교육감들과 첫 면담…해법 제시 여부 관심
국정교과서 편찬기준 발표·대학구조개혁 등 속도 낼 듯

이준식 사회부총리 겸 교육부 장관이 13일 취임식을 열고 57대 교육수장 업무를 시작한다.

이 부총리 앞에는 교육 현안이 산적해 있다. 물론 가장 시급한 것은 코앞으로 다가온 '보육대란' 문제 해결이다.

누리과정(만 3∼5세 공통무상보육) 예산 편성이 안돼 보육현장의 큰 혼란이 예상되는 상황에서 이 문제는 사회의 복잡한 갈등을 조정하고 통합하는 사회부총리로서 그의 역량을 가늠하는 첫 번째 시험대가 될 전망이다.

현재 교육청들은 어린이집 누리과정은 국가에서 전액 예산을 지원해야 한다며 누리과정 예산 일부 또는 전액을 편성하지 않았다. 교육부는 교육청들이 재정 여건이 되는 데도 법적 의무를 다하지 않고 있다고 비판하는 등 양측 입장이 팽팽히 맞서 이달 20일을 전후해 당장 유치원과 어린이집에 학비 지원이 끊길 상황이다.

렷한 해법은 나오지 않은 채 교육부와 교육청 모두 상대방이 먼저 손을 들고 양보하기만을 기다리는 모양새라 이 부총리의 행보에 특히 관심이 쏠린다.

공대 교수로 30년간 학교에서만 재직한 그가 정부, 교육청, 유치원·어린이집 등 유관기관, 학부모 등 이해 당사자들이 얽히고설킨 가운데 정치적 기싸움까지 더해진 이 사안을 과연 매끄럽게 잘 풀어나갈 수 있을지 주목되는 상황이다.

이런 점을 인식한 이 부총리도 국회 인사청문회에서 가장 시급한 문제로 누리과정 예산 문제를 꼽으며 취임하면 가장 먼저 교육감들을 만나 진정성 있는 논의를 통해 학부모들의 불안을 해소하겠다고 강조했다.

이 부총리는 일단 18일 오후 정부서울청사에서 상견례를 겸해 전국시도교육감협의회 임원진들과 만날 예정이다. 이 자리에는 협의회 회장인 장휘국 광주교육감과 부회장인 조희연 서울교육감, 김복만 울산교육감, 감사인 설동호 대전교육감이 참석한다.

이 부총리는 교육감들을 만나 재정여건에 대해 설명하고 법리적인 해석의 차이가 있는 부분을 언급하며 설득에 나설 것으로 보인다.

예정된 발표 시한을 한 달 이상 훌쩍 넘긴 채 기약 없이 미뤄지는 국정 역사교과서 편찬기준 발표도 이 부총리 취임을 계기로 조만간 이뤄질 것이란 전망도 있다.

편찬기준 마련은 거의 마무리된 것으로 알려졌고 이 부총리도 인사청문회 때 편찬기준을 발표하겠다는 방침을 확인한 만큼 취임을 계기로 발표 시점이 구체화할 것으로 관측된다.

대학가를 들썩이게 하는 대학구조개혁 작업도 속도를 낼 것으로 보인다.

사회 수요에 맞춰 학사구조를 개편하고 정원을 조정하는 대학을 지원하는 '산업연계 교육활성화 선도대학 사업'(프라임 사업) 추진도 이 부총리 체제 아래서 더욱 강화될 전망이다.

이 부총리가 서울대 산학협력단장과 미래창조과학부의 공과대학혁신위원회 위원장 등을 지내면서 이 분야에 대한 경험을 쌓고 관심을 기울여왔다는 점에서 가장 자신 있게 추진할 수 있는 일이기도 하다.

이 부총리 스스로도 인사청문회에서 '공정한 평가에 따른 정원 감축 등 과감한 구조개혁을 지속적으로 추진하겠다'고 강조했다.

이밖에 이 부총리가 인사청문회에서 취임 후 가장 하고 싶은 일로 수차례 초등학교에서의 인성교육과 준법교육을 강조한 만큼 초등학교 인성교육 강화에 힘을 쏟을 것이라는 전망이 나온다. (연합뉴스)
Emailskim@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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