Dispute erupts over private cram school closing hours

By Kim Bo-eun

A move by Seoul Metropolitan Council to extend the operating hours of private cram schools, or “hagwon,” for high school students has reignited a long-running dispute.

The council hosted a hearing Thursday to revise related rules which will extend the closing time of private academies by one hour to 11 p.m.

“Ending classes for high school students at 10 p.m. is too early for seniors preparing for the CSAT (College Scholastic Aptitude Test),” city councilor Park Ho-keun said.

If classes officially end at 10 pm, it does not mean an absence of late lessons _ institutes continue providing classes in areas which are free of government monitoring and students also have private lessons at homes, he said.

“It’s better to legally allow the students to study at cram schools,” he said.

Park also cites that private academies in other cities are able to stay open later, as each municipality can decide when classes end. Cram schools in Busan and Incheon can operate until 11 p.m. and in Daejeon until midnight, according to the council.

However, the council’s move has triggered a backlash from civic groups and teachers as well as education authorities, who claim that students are already overburdened with their studies.

“Koreans work an average 41.5 hours a week, which is the second-longest among OECD nations, but students spend 70 to 80 hours sitting in front of their desks to study,” said the civic group, World Without Worries about Shadow Education (WWWSE), at a press conference in Seoul.

“They rank on the bottom of happiness indexes and their physical and mental health, relationships and creativity are being stifled.”

The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations also expressed opposition to the move, as the costs of private education will increase in Seoul, where they are already the highest in the nation.

According to a 2015 survey by Statistics Korea, high school students in Seoul spend a monthly average of 436,000 won on private education. This is almost three times the expenditure of students in rural areas (148,000 won).

The council also proposed that scram schools close at least one full day during the week.

Civic groups claim the move is intended to improve working conditions for private academy instructors rather than guaranteeing adequate rest for students.

“The city council is putting private institutes’ interest over the wellbeing of students,” said a member of the WWWSE.

The group said it will be virtually impossible for education authorities to monitor whether cram schools follow the one-day off rule, because each will close on a different day. In addition, the council has placed an exception during exam periods, which the civic group says the academies are likely to abuse.