UDP Advocates More Language Schools
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has promised to improve public education by decreasing the number of students per teacher to 25.
Presenting a set of 100 campaign pledges Monday for the upcoming National Assembly elections, the liberal party also suggested reinforcing English education by opening language schools in elementary, junior and high schools and offering up to 2,300 hours of English classes per year.
In an apparent effort to check President Lee Myung-bak's initiative to improve students' English skills, the UDP proposed adopting a certificate system to rule out low-quality English teachers.
The party also promised to have various types of schools setting a U.S.-style charter school as a role model to foster creative and capable students.
With university tuition increasing faster than inflation, the UDP insisted that it is necessary to introduce a price ceiling system to prevent schools from imposing too high tuition fees.
A pay-later system under which students can study first and pay tuition after they make money will also help ease their financial burden, it added.
The party also promised to construct railways linking the Korean Peninsula to Russia and Europe.
It said the project is more environmentally friendly and economically feasible than the cross-country waterway project, President Lee's signature pledge.
As a supporter of the ``Sunshine Policy'' of engaging North Korea, the party noted that the railways would be also help improve relations between the two Koreas through joint construction.
Regarding inflation, the party promised to cut oil tax and charges for telephone and Internet use by 10 percent.
The UDP also seeks to check price increases of 30 major products to ease financial difficulties facing the public.
It promised to create 500,000 jobs per year, while giving more support to small-and medium-sized companies.
Rep. Choi In-kee, chairman of the UDP's policy committee, said his party will focus on protecting social minorities, unlike the GNP, whose policies are for the ``privileged classes and conglomerates only.''
He added the party will do its utmost to curb inflation.