By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Educational authorities Sunday announced they will transform about half of all vocational high schools into ``Meister schools'' that specialize more in actual education of specific professions such as designing, cooking and animation-filming by 2011.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) announced the ``Meister schools'' would help students obtain more practical education needed for getting a job. Currently, there are 77 vocational high schools, with approximately half of them being subject to the transformation plan.
Since the opening of Sunrin Internet High School in 2000, educational authorities have been making an effort to set up more vocational Meister schools and transform existing commercial and industrial high schools into these specialist schools.
Vocational Meister schools usually have a class with fewer than 25 students and can accept students from other regions as well as from Seoul.
Once a school is designated as a vocational Meister school, the government offers a subsidy of up to 10 million won to the school for the reeducation of teachers in the first year of operation. In three years, the school can receive up to 250 million won in subsidies.
``There are increasing demands for those with expertise in specific fields.'' an official from SMOE said.