Education spending scoffed at the unprecedented global economic crisis by surging to a record high in South Korea. According to the Bank of Korea, the nation's households spent a total of 40.5 trillion won ($35 billion) on education in the October 2008-September 2009 period, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier. It was the first time that education expenditures surpassed the 40-trillion-won mark. They accounted for 7.4 percent of total household consumption.

The increase was in contrast with alcohol and tobacco consumption that edged down 0.5 percent to 13.9 trillion won in the same period as people cut down on drinking and smoking in the aftermath of the ``Great Recession." This indicated that education spending was not affected by the worldwide turmoil, reflecting parents' uncompromising enthusiasm for giving their children a better education.

In other words, parents must have had difficulty grappling with the ever-increasing education bills. They had to reduce other spending to cover costs for schooling and other educational costs for their offspring. No doubt parents were subject to all the more acute pain arising from spiraling education costs, while they had to endure wage cuts and job losses amid the global economic and financial turbulence.

South Korea has long been notorious for excessive private tutoring which cost parents 20.9 trillion won in 2008. Last year's figure is not yet available. But it is apparent that the sum has continued to rise. It is safe to stay that private tutoring knows no limit ― whether there is an economic boom or a recession. The education spending hike reflects the stark reality of Korean society, in which promising jobs call for diplomas from prestigious colleges and universities.

As long as this social tend persists, education spending will keep rising with private tutoring for college entrance exams far outgrowing school education. Every president in South Korea vows to stamp out private tutoring and normalize classroom education whenever they are inaugurated. Unfortunately, however, people have never seen any leader make good on his promise.

President Lee Myung-bak has also pledged to work out measures to drastically curtail private tutoring costs. Even he said more students will be allowed to enter top-notch colleges and universities even without taking private lessons. His government has strengthened the admissions inspector system that allows colleges and universities to select freshman candidates based on school records and extracurricular activities without demanding high scores on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).

But the system and other policies have given rise to new types of private tutoring and admissions consulting that could only benefit children of wealthy families. The question is how to put an end to the nation's dilapidated education system that is far more costly and inefficient in cultivating creative human resources than any other country in the world.

Now, it is time to initiate the education revolution in order to free parents from higher spending, and their children from private tutoring and excessive competition for college entrance exams. But it is easier said than done because such a revolution will never be achieved without changing the socioeconomic and political environment.