Gov't to scrap high school vocational training programs

Rep. Yoo Seong-min, chairman of the Bareun Party, pays his respects at Lee Min-ho’s funeral in Jeju City, Nov. 24. Lee died after an accident at a beverage factory he worked at as a part of a vocational training program. / Yonhap

By You Soo-sun

The government will scrap on-site high school vocational training programs after numerous accidents and labor abuses, including the death of student trainee Lee Min-ho, 17.

Education Minister Kim Sang-kon on Friday discussed ways to move the program away from “labor” towards “education.”

To do so, the ministry will limit the specialized high schools from operating training programs dubbed “early employment field training.” These are usually geared toward helping students find jobs immediately on graduation.

Students during their last semester often participate in the programs, during which they receive hands-on training at places such as factories, railway stations and call centers.

But the system has been criticized for meager wages, poor supervision and the physical and emotional toll on the students.

Lee, for example, died after an accident at a beverage factory where he was working as part of the program. His neck was caught in a machine, causing serious damage to his brain and respiratory system. He died 10 days later.

The government plans to tackle the problems by putting strict limits on training programs.

Only supervised programs will be allowed and these should be for educational purposes, according to the ministry.

The maximum program length will be cut to three months from the current six.

The government will also inspect the students’ work environment. If it finds safety or labor abuse problems, student trainees will be sent back to school.

The government also plans to change the evaluation system, in which schools receive government money based on their annual employment rate. This was criticized for leading many teachers to ignore the plight of students.

Finally, the government will establish a counseling center for student trainees to help them easily report and tackle problems encountered in workplaces.

The changes will be implemented beginning with a trial this year, and will be expanded during the next two years to be completely in place by 2020.

But reactions to the plan have not been warm.

“It is not clear how the government will change the program to one that emphasizes education rather than early employment,” the Specialized High School Students’ Rights Association Chairman Lee Sang-hyeon told The Korea Times. “Moreover, it failed to reflect the opinions of the students directly affected by these programs.

“The government was too hasty in announcing its plan. In going forward, it must incorporate the opinions of the students and their various circumstances.”