Calls growing to revive science ministry

By Na Jeong-ju

The government is facing growing calls to separate the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) into two different ministries handling education and science affairs, separately, to put greater emphasis on developing technologies.

The Lee Myung-bak administration created the MOEST in early 2008 by combining the Ministry of Education and Human Resources and the Ministry of Science and Technology in a bid to streamline state organizations and ensure efficiency in policy implementation.

However, scientists and science officials say the merger, which emulated Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, has proved to be a failure.

“Data shows that science policies have been put on the back burner since the education and science ministries were merged three years ago,” said Rep. An Min-suk of the main opposition Democratic Party.

“Science officials are also being discriminated against education officials in promotions and are given fewer opportunities to work in key positions. It’s right to say the science ministry was absorbed into the education ministry.”

An, a member of the National Assembly’s Education, Science and Technology Committee, called for the revival of the science ministry to better direct related policies.

Since the combination, the number of science officials inside the MOEST has fallen to 225 from 344 in 2008. Some of them have been transferred to the National Science and Technology Commission, while others were moved to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and other agencies, according to the lawmaker.

Science officials complain that the administration tends to pay more attention to education affairs than science-related issues due to greater public interest in education.

“During a recent parliamentary inspection session, even lawmakers questioned only on politically-sensitive issues, such as the government’s tuition policy, college restructuring plan and the controversy over the free school meal program,” a science official said on condition of anonymity.

“They rarely asked about ongoing science projects or our plan to nurture technologies. Most of them appeared to be indifferent to science.”

There are growing voices for separation of the science ministry from the education ministry to enhance the competitiveness of the country’s science field.

“It’s a failed experiment to merge the two different ministries that were handling their own unique policies,” said Rep. Lee Sang-min of the minor opposition Liberty Forward Party, whose constituency is Yuseong-gu in Daejeon, where the country’s largest science complex is located.

Scientists hope the next administration will separate them and bring the country’s science policies back on track. That’s crucial to make Korea a global science technology powerhouse.”