Education Autonomy

Active Participation Urged in Election of Superintendent

Local autonomy in the field of education is in its incipient stage in South Korea. The country introduced the election of superintendents of education offices in major cities and provinces in 2006. However, education autonomy has a long way to go due to a lack of public awareness and low voter turnout.

Seoul, the nation's capital, is scheduled to hold an election on July 30 to allow residents to choose the new superintendent of its municipal education office. The election marks a milestone in education history as it gives the public the opportunity to have a popularly elected education administrator who will better represent residents' voices for the better education of elementary, middle and high school students.

The city's superintendent is responsible for the education of 1.48 million schoolchildren as well as managing about 60,000 teachers and school employees, including headmasters. Seoul's annual education budget is estimated at 6 trillion won ($6 billion). The top educator is in charge of creating or closing schools, budgeting and planning, and setting school curriculums. In particular, the chief administrator is required to normalize school education that has long been devastated by fierce competition regarding the college entrance exam.

However, citizens are not too interested in the election of the superintendent. Furthermore, many people do not know that residents directly choose the education official, let alone when election day is. According to a survey conducted by polling agency Hangil Research, only 13.8 percent said they would go to the polling station on July 30. The metropolitan teachers' association hopes that voter turnout will reach 20 percent. This shows how indifferent voters are to education autonomy.

Other cities and provinces are experiencing the same problem. Only 13.5 percent of voters cast ballots in Busan in February last year when the city conducted the nation's first popular election for an education superintendent. Voter turnout stood at 17.2 percent in the election for the education chief of South Chungcheong Province. The low figures are attributed to poor public awareness about the importance of grassroots democracy in the education sector.

It can be said South Koreans are second to none in education fever which has been the driving force behind what the country is now. For parents and their children, the election of education chiefs could be considered more important than that of the President. It makes no sense for people to say that they pay attention to education, while refusing to exercise their voting right to elect municipal or provincial education heads.

Indifference and a lack of participation are the enemies of grassroots democracy. It is imperative for residents to actively take part in the process of decision-making by going to the polls. People should not forget that the nation's future depends on education. And education autonomy cannot be attained without their active participation.