Education Office Under Fire for Degrading Low Incomers
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Would long-term lease apartments or housings for low-income earners bring down the educational environment in the region? The answer seems yes; at least for the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. The top education authority is under fire for sending out a message calling for the government to spike its plan to build long-term lease apartments in the well-off Gangnam area of southern Seoul.
It was revealed that Kong Jeong-taek, superintendent of the education office, sent a request to Seoul city government in May to withdraw its designation of a lease apartment complex construction in Suseo, southern Seoul. He said, ``many parents will be reluctant to send their children to the same school as those from the lease apartments because they think it will bring down the academic environment.''
Under construction rules, when construction firms build a large-scale apartment complex, they are obliged to build some small-size lease apartments for low-income earners.
The educational office explained that there are too many in the region already and that it is causing conflicts among parents since they think the poorer students do not have sufficient background to back their academic career.
``About 29 percent of the students in the area receive basic subsidies from the government already. If we have more of them, every new semester will be full of parents asking for a school transfer to where there are less low-income children,'' an office staff said.
However, parents' groups as well as other civic groups criticized Kong's action as his position requires him to be fair and prejudice-free.
``What the education administration should be looking for is how all students can be provided with a good education,'' Park Yi-sun, spokesman of The National Association of Parents for Cham-Education said. ``After all, the education office should not attempt to influence construction plans,'' she added.
Others criticized that the office is currying the favor of wealthy people only. ``These rich people are worried about the fall of real estate prices should lease apartments exist in the neighbor. The education issue is just a cover-up. Why is the office speaking for such privileged people?'' another member at the parents' group said.
Some civic groups said they would boycott Kong at the upcoming superintendent election slated for next Wednesday.
Currently there are about 1.5 million lease properties in Korea.