By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
High-income families spent 7.8 times more than their lower income counterparts on their children's public and private education in the first half of the year, a lawmaker said Monday.
Rep. Ahn Hong-joon of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) also said that education spending by the top 10 percent of the population ― by income ― increased by 46.3 percent between 2003 and 2008, while that of the bottom 10 percent grew by a mere 16.9 percent.
``The data shows that the growth of rich families' spending on education over the same time period far outpaced that of the poor as working-class families fell prey to rising prices,'' Ahn said at a National Assembly committee meeting, citing government statistics.
Analysts say parents in the two income brackets are motivated to spend more for private education due to a shift of education policy.
But they said working class families feel more pressure from rising utility bills and prices than their wealthier counterparts, and this discouraged them from increasing education spending.
``The widening education spending gap between the two groups will make it more difficult for children from working-class families to break out of the vicious circle of poverty as they grow up,'' Ahn insisted.
A survey by the Hankook Ilbo and The Korea Times conducted last week found 44.2 percent of parents said they spent more for their children's education after President Lee Myung-bak took office in February.
Parents' and teachers' groups pointed their fingers at Lee's competition-oriented education policy as a source of the increase.
In a televised conversation with citizens held weeks ago, Lee pledged to establish more foreign language and science high schools during his term to cut household spending on private education.
His comments invited criticism from education experts as they made the point that building more elite high schools would only lead to a rise in household spending on private education.
The survey said 64 percent of parents agreed with the experts, saying they oppose the plan to build more of these schools.
Educators said the creation of international middle schools is another factor contributing to the growth of families' education spending.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced last week that two international middle schools ― Younghoon and Daewon ― in Seoul will accept students from next March.
These schools plan to teach courses both in Korean and English for the time being, and will phase in English-only classes in the future.
Tuition at these middle schools is 1.2 million won per quarter, with additional 700,000 won for commencement fees upon students' joining the schools in the first year.
Experts said parents will need to pay approximately seven to 10 million won to get their children into the middle schools per year, calling them institutions for the upper class.
Shortly after the education ministry's announcement, reports said private institutes offering tailored preparation programs for the elite middle schools had received phone inquires from parents who were interested in getting their elementary school children into the elite middle schools.
Parents' and teachers' groups said the establishment of international middle schools would cause families to spend more for education.