By Na Jeong-ju
More than 220 principals and officials of public elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul will face disciplinary measures for accounting fraud, ethical violations and mismanagement, the education office said Monday.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education recently conducted an audit of 67 public schools in the capital to look into their accounting practices and possible corruption among school officials.
Some 10 principals and 210 officials will face a salary cut, relocation and other punitive measures for wrongdoings, the office said.
One principal received bribes from providers of education material for the school’s after-school lessons and non-academic activities. Another principal received expensive gifts and cash from organizers of school excursions for students.
The office cautioned that inappropriate accounting practices are still rampant among some schools despite the government’s efforts to ensure transparency.
It’s the first large-scale disciplinary action against public schools since 67 principals and other educators were dismissed early this year for taking kickbacks or engaging in other corrupt deals.
Kong Jeong-taek, former head of the education office in Seoul, was also stripped of his post due to bribe-taking.
The office slapped sanctions against a total of 118 educators for corrupt practices between late 2009 and early 2010.