By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
The government has worked to set up more international schools to attract greater foreign investment, however, Korean students are posing a dilemma for this policy.
Under the current Education Law, Korean students wishing to attend an international school are required to provide a document proving a minimum of five years residency overseas.
With the inception of the new government, education authorities are considering revising the law. ``We have discussed easing the rule over the last five years but we have not reached a conclusion yet. I expect the new government will decide on it,'' said Sung Sam-je, an official from the Ministry of Education and Human Resources.
There are 51 international schools in Korea, with a total of 10,168 students enrolled in them as of September 2007. Among them, 1,426 or 14 percent are Korean nationals, according to the ministry,
Many Korean parents have pushed the government to ease the regulation so that their children can be enrolled at international schools mainly for English education.
However, another ministry official, Lee Ji-seon hinted that there is also the possibility of raising the required overseas residency period. ``Some top-tier international schools with a long waiting list don't admit Korean students. Also, some European countries that have strong public education systems don't allow their own nationals to enroll at international schools in their countries,'' she said.
While some international schools that need more students support easing the restriction, others don't want more Korean students as many foreign parents don't want to send their children to those schools.
``In general, if the requirement for international school admission changes from the current five years to more additional years, enrollment would decline,'' said the foreign admissions officer at Seoul Foreign School, the largest international school in Korea. The school only accepts foreign passport holders.
Some experts say that the government needs to allow more Korean students into the international schools. ``We should not forget that the English-language schools will remain prohibitively expensive for the vast majority. Korea has fared well in providing equality in access to education, and this approach should be preserved. So, foreign schools should be made more accessible for Koreans who are willing to send their children there, but normal schools should not be neglected,'' said Prof. Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University.
Some experts say the government should leave the door open to Korean students and introduce a priority system for admission.
``Any restrictions against Koreans in enrollment will seem arbitrary and unfair, but there needs to be restrictions of some sort to prevent a mass exodus of foreigners and of Koreans returning from abroad whose children cannot find schools here,'' said Michael Breen the president of Insight Communications Consultants.
``Perhaps there should be a priority system with foreign passport holders getting top priority, dual Korean-foreign passport holders second, then Koreans with over five years abroad, four years, three, two, one, and finally all other Koreans. For these last, presumably there would need to be a lottery system,'' he added.