Education for Sale

School Foundations Ought to Have Educators' Conscience

It is no news the grades of Korean universities and colleges hover low among major economic powers. Korean students tend to do better than most of their foreign counterparts in high school, but fare badly while at college. This is not just due to their rote-cramming study methods, but to the poor quality of education provided by the highest institutions of learning.

A civic group's report Thursday provides some glimpses into why. About 60 private universities in the capital area amassed 628.4 billion won, or 10.8 billion won each, last year as funds for their foundations. The schools spent the money, almost all of which came from students' tuition, on buildings and ``other undisclosed purposes'' rather than on research or scholarships, said the report by the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.

The government is not free from blame in this matter. An OECD survey says Korea's college tuition system is marked by ``low governmental subsidization and a structure better suited for the high-income class.'' If the Lee Myung-bak administration applies the free competition principle to education as it vows to, a severe ``educational divide'' is highly likely.

College tuition has topped 10 million won ($10,500) a year. Even the well-to-do find it hard to afford the most expensive schools. This crowds students from poor families out of the student loan system because of high interest rates. Little wonder we often run into grim news items about tuition-pressed parents committing suicide and co-eds doing part-time work at drinking establishments, including room salons.

The new government should hurry to do something to prevent a situation in which poor but talented students abandon all hope for the future. First of all, it should set a strict ceiling on tuition hikes to at least not exceed the inflation rate and force the schools to discuss with student representatives on the increase and how they use it. Self-regulation should accompany a corresponding sense of responsibility and integrity.

Korean colleges, instead of remaining ``tuition merchants,'' should learn from Harvard University's graded tuition system for students with differing family income and introduce the ``study-now-pay-later'' system of European schools.

President Lee, who financed his studies by selling goods at a night market stall, should know the hardships of poor students better than any one else. Some extra jobs may be okay for youngsters but wasting too much time on something else than study is unlikely to cultivate the global talent Lee wants.