By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-baks's tenure has been marked by controversial policy moves, such as the four-river restoration project and revisions to the Sejong City plan of creating an administrative capital in Chungcheong Province.
As Lee enters his third year in office, he made it clear recently that he will aim to make education reform one of his legacies.
He said Monday education reform is his priority this year.
His ultimate goal is to change the Korean education system centered on college entrance exams, which has created excessive spending on private education.
"Education reform is one of the primary tasks of our government this year," Lee said in his biweekly radio address. "We will hold a meeting every month to review our education policy and will do our best to have the students, parents, and teachers sense a real change happening."
Lee's new hands-on approach to education is seen as a rare move from the head of state, who has been mainly focused on reviving the economy and creating jobs.
Starting March, Lee will preside over monthly meetings on transforming the public education system.
Lee's announcement came after scores of pictures depicting violence and misbehavior on graduation days recently appeared online.
About 20 senior middle school boys and girls were forced to take off their clothes and pose naked for photos after their graduation ceremony earlier this month. The pictures were rapidly spread on the Internet, prompting a police investigation.
Shocked by the news, the President said he felt a sense of responsibility for the lack of education on morality and behavior in schools.
"More fundamentally, we should think seriously about what education is," he said.
The President will start visiting schools every month to preside over meetings where education actually happens.
The meetings will be an inter-governmental affair, as officials from various ministries will take part.
The President thinks that resolving the education crisis should be a joint task, not just for teachers and students, but also the community, families, the authorities and the media, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
"President Lee said in a New Year speech that he will try to make it possible for students to go to college without having to rely on private education. He will be more devoted to resolving education issues," a presidential office spokeswoman said. "The President is dedicated to achieving outcomes in education reform that people can actually identify with."
The president's meetings on education will run for one year, but they could be extended.
Cheong Wa Dae will establish a new department for checking the progress in education reform and increasing communication with the people thorough organizing surveys and meetings with parents.