5 competing for top Seoul education post

Rival camps clashing over key issues

By Kim Bo-eun

Five candidates have entered the race to win the top post at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education after registration was finalized Monday.

They are vying to succeed Kwak No-hyun, who was stripped of the superintendent position after being convicted of bribing one of his rivals during the last election so that the opponent would withdraw his candidacy.

The by-election is slated for Dec. 19, the same day as the presidential poll.

One contender from each of the conservative and liberal camps as well as three independent candidates are running for the position.

The contenders are focusing on whether to maintain or revoke Kwak’s liberal education policies which sparked heated debates among teachers, parents and students.

Lee Soo-ho, the candidate of the liberal camp, is an ardent advocate of student rights, and has promised to stick to the policies of Kwak if elected.

At stake is an “innovation school” project, designed to give teachers, students and parents in existing school communities a bigger say in school management and curriculum design.

Lee, a former head of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, plans to increase the number of schools that will adopt the scheme as well as the budget allocated to them.

Another of Kwak’s main policies was an ordinance on students’ human rights. The ordinance, which faced a strong backlash when it was adopted in January, prohibits teachers from conducting random checks on students’ belongings as well as corporal punishment.

The 63-year-old Lee concedes that there may have been a lack of communication in implementing the controversial ordinance at schools, but said he supports its content.

“If schools raise awareness of students’ rights and create an atmosphere where those rights are respected, the ordinance will be able to be adopted,” he said.

Moon Yong-lin of the conservative camp is also attracting attention due to his widely differing views on these policies.

Lee and Moon have different backgrounds. Lee worked as a Korean language teacher for some 30 years before leading the labor movement for teachers.

Moon, a professor emeritus at Seoul National University (SNU), was the education minister in 2009 and until recently served as an advisor to the ruling Saenuri Party.

This has important implications because their views will determine whether Kwak’s policies will continue or not.

Regarding the ordinance, Moon said, “The Constitution already guarantees the rights of students so the ordinance is not only unnecessary, but it has also brought about negative effects such as teachers losing their authority.”

The 64-year-old Moon also said that the “innovation school” model would be hard to establish in all schools.

“Parents may welcome such schools because they receive twice the amount of management fees. But some of the schools’ administrations seem to be politically motivated,” he said.

Moon’s main pledge is that he will gradually abolish mid-term and final exams for first-year students at middle schools. The measure is meant to shift the current focus on studies to a curriculum which focuses on helping students discover their talent.

Other pledges include providing free education, starting from daycare centers through to high school, as well as creating after-school activities for children of working parents.

The independent candidates are Nam Seung-hee, a former official of the Seoul education office; Lee Sang-myun, a former law professor at SNU; and Choi Myung-bok, a former high school teacher and official at the education office.

Nam, who is known to represent conservative values, said problems in the current education system lie in the fact that it is based on grades and scores. Nam emphasizes that a shift should take place so that education is based on helping students develop moral values.

Lee Sang-myun, also a professor emeritus at SNU, has pledged to have schools practice the Socratic teaching method to develop student’s thinking skills.

He stands for neutrality in education, upholds the rights of teachers as well student rights on an equal level, and believes in a rounded education.

Choi said the education sector should separate itself from political ideals. His pledges include boosting teachers’ morale by doubling overseas training programs for them and providing free digital and online classes to underprivileged students.