Private Cram Schools Suffer Slump on Government Measures

By Kang Shin-who

Staff Reporter

The number of private cram schools or hagwon in Seoul is falling after a series of government steps to cut the cost of private tutoring. Adding to their woes is the prolonged sluggish economy.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the capital has about 28,000 private education institutes for primary and secondary school students, registered with the office, this year.

However, a recent survey has found that 2,600 hagwon or 9.3 percent have closed.

Among those that have shut down, nearly half of them were located in the affluent Gangnam area in southeastern Seoul.

“We are seeing that our strict policy to cut down on private education is working well. In addition, the prolonged sluggish economy is causing hagwon to close their doors,” said an official from the education office.

Since last year, the government has introduced a variety of measures to curb soaring private education costs.

First, each city and provincial education office last year started to crack down on hagwon that ran beyond designated hours and overcharged parents.

In addition, the authorities introduced financial reward programs for ordinary citizens who report hagwon that break the law or regulations.

Tipsters on overcharging, violation of hagwon operation hours and unregistered tutors receive cash rewards of up to 2 million won. About 3 billion won was allotted to finance the project last year.

At the same time, the government has expanded after-school programs and a teacher evaluation system in order to improve the quality of public education so that students don’t need to rely on private education institutes.

Hagwon owners strongly oppose the government’s policy, especially the after-school programs. In a series of rallies organized by an association of hagwon owners in Seoul, they claimed that schools are forcing students to participate in after-school classes and many students are unhappy with the low-quality programs.

“The government first has to improve the quality of public education so that students don’t need classes after school,” they said in a statement. “Also, it should stop depriving us of jobs with compulsory after-school programs.”

사설 학원 수 급감

정부가 사교육비 경감 조치를 취하자 서울에 있는 사설 학원 수가 급감하고 있다. 이들에 더욱 우려스러운 것은 경제 부진이 계속되고 있다는 것이다.

서울시교육청에 따르면 올 서울에서 약 28,000개의 초중고 학생 대상의 학원들이 등록되어있다.

하지만, 최근 조사에 따르면 9.3퍼센트인 2,600개의 학원이 문을 닫았다.

문을 닫은 학원들 중에 반 이상이 부유한 서울 강남지역에 있었다.

“사교육에 대한 우리의 단호한 정책이 잘 먹혀들어가고 있다고 본다. 지속되는 경기 부진으로 학원이 더 문을 닫고 있다” 라고 교육청의 관계자가 말했다.

작년 이후 정부는 급증하는 사교육비를 줄여주기 위해 다양한 조치를 취했다. 첫 째, 각 도시의 교육청은 지정된 시간보다 더 운영하며 추가 교습비를 학부모들에게 부담시키는 학원을 엄중히 단속했다.

그 외에 당국은 법이나 규정을 어긴 학원을 신고한 주민에게 포상금을 주는 제도를 내놨었다.