Conservatives and progressives are locked in a heated debate over the proposed provision of free school lunches ahead of the June 2 local elections. Five opposition political parties, including the Democratic Party (DP), have united in putting forward a campaign pledge to give free meals to schoolchildren. However, the governing Grand National Party (GNP) and other rightwing groups are against it.
First of all, it is disappointing that the two rival quarters are toeing ideological lines over the issue in their apparent attempt to rally their respective supporters behind their own causes. Such an attempt has often been made in the lead up to elections to woo voters. But we have to ask a question: Should the school lunch issue be decided by political jockeying for elected posts?
It is desirable for both sides to stop using the issue to strike the ideological chord of the right or the left. Political parties are churning out novel and tempting campaign slogans, most of which are strong in tone but weak on substance. But these empty slogans won't appeal to voters no matter how sugar-coated they are.
The school lunch issue, ostensibly, looks simple. But the provision of free meals is a matter of great importance because it is closely related to the nation's underlying policy of education, welfare and taxation. The opposition camp is apparently intending to weaken the position of the ruling quarters by putting more stress on left-leaning commitments.
Would-be candidates for governor and other major posts backed by the main opposition DP and other splinter parties are trying to find fault with the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration, which has repeatedly promised to protect the poor and underprivileged since the 2008 global economic crisis. They are making efforts to prove the fallacy of Lee's much-avowed ``people friendly" policies by floating the free lunch idea.
In particular, they are taking advantage of some opinion polls showing that 60 to 80 percent of respondents are for the free meal plan. Even some GNP members, including Rep. Won Hee-ryong who wants to run for mayor of Seoul, are advocating the free lunch proposal to win voters. However, the GNP and the government are sticking to its basic position that free lunches should be only available to schoolchildren of low-income families.
They point out that distributing free meals to all children could disrupt the redistribution of wealth, describing the proposal as populism. Expressing concerns that it will only benefit the wealthy, they also raise the budgetary problem of financing the proposal by mobilizing taxpayer money.
The provision of free lunches would certainly help the nation promote better education for children. Currently, only 13 percent of primary, middle and high school students are recipients of free meals as they belong to poor families. Increasing the ratio to 100 percent would require 2 to 3 trillion won. Thus, it would be better to expand it on a gradual basis in order to ease taxpayer burden in general and reduce parents' payments for school lunches for their children.