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Thu, October 5, 2023 | 07:37
Free preschool programs in jeopardy
정부, 누리예산 대법원 제소 검토…교육청 "적반하장"
Posted : 2015-12-24 16:42
Updated : 2015-12-24 21:30
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By Chung Ah-young

Vice Education Minister Lee Young
Vice Education Minister Lee Young
Local educational offices have slashed or failed to allocate budgets for next year's free childcare and preschool programs, prompting concern among parents.

Heads of the offices cite the fact that the programs were a policy pledge made by President Park Geun-hye when she was campaigning for the presidency and so the central government should cover the costs.

Some 4.02 trillion won ― 2.13 trillion won for daycare centers and 1.89 trillion won for kindergartens ― is required next year to support some 1.3 million children aged three to five who are entitled to the programs.

Among 17 cities and provinces nationwide, educational offices of Seoul, Gwangju and South Jeolla Province have not allocated any money for the programs at all.
This means that about 293,000 preschoolers in the regions may not receive such support if the offices continue not to cover the costs. Gyeonggi provincial office is also expected not to fund programs within its boundaries.

Two offices approved the budget for the programs but only for two months at daycare centers, while others decided to provide a budget for only six to nine months for daycare centers and kindergartens.

In 2013, the government adopted the Nuri Curriculum for preschoolers aged three to five. Children at both daycare centers and kindergartens benefit from the scheme, although centers are under the authority of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and kindergartens are supervised by the Ministry of Education.

Citing this, the local education offices claim no responsibility for financing the daycare centers. But the government had a related regulation revised to force the offices to support the budget needed for both daycare centers and kindergartens.

To urge the central government to cover the costs, superintendents from the educational offices nationwide requested a meeting with President Park.
"The President should make it clear on this issue," Jang Hui-guk, superintendent of Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, said in a press briefing in Seoul, Wednesday. "We think there is no other way if the President refuses to support the programs. This is our last resort," he said.

However, Vice Education Minister Lee Young strongly denounced their actions, saying that it will not be tolerated if the educational offices pass the buck back to the central government.

"The educational offices have a legal responsibility to set aside money for the Nuri programs. Nonetheless, they are refusing to do so, blaming the central government for the chaos," Lee said.

He added said that if the offices do not provide the money, the ministry will take legal action.

Parents have vented their anger over the situation, repeated annually, in which the central government and the educational offices pass the buck to each other.

Last year, after wrangling over the budget, the central government provided 504.6 billion won in reserve funds for the program for daycare centers while the local educational offices issued municipal bonds valued at 1 trillion won to make up for the budget shortage.

However, the local offices said that they will not issue any more bonds.



정부, 누리예산 대법원 제소 검토…교육청 "적반하장"

이영 교육부 차관 '학부모 볼모로 책임전가 용납 못해'
서울·경기 등 7곳 전액삭감 또는 일부 편성…보육대란 현실화 우려

내년도 누리과정(만 3∼5세 무상교육) 예산지원을 놓고 교육부와 시도 교육청의 줄다리기가 점입가경으로 확대되고 있다.

교육부는 교육청들이 끝내 예산 편성을 거부할 경우 대법원 제소 등 법적 대응까지 고려하겠다고 엄포를 놨다. 각 교육청도 '법적 대응에는 법적으로 맞서겠다'고 밝혀 내년 '보육대란' 현실화의 우려가 커지고 있다.

이영 교육부 차관은 24일 광화문 정부서울청사에서 기자회견을 열어 '누리과정 예산은 의무지출 경비로 교육감이 반드시 편성해야 할 법적 의무가 있다'며 '그럼에도 일부 시도 교육감은 예산 편성을 거부하고 이로 인해 초래될 보육대란의 책임을 정부에 전가하고 있다'고 밝혔다.

이 차관은 시도 교육청들이 재정의 어려움을 이유로 예산 편성을 할 수 없다고 주장하는 데 대해서도 근거가 없다고 반박했다.

그는 '이미 10월23일 내년도 보통교부금을 교부하면서 시 교육청별로 누리과정에 필요한 소요액을 전액 교부했으며 교육청의 재정 어려움을 감안해 3조 9천억원의 지방채 발행도 승인했다'고 설명했다.

내년도 누리과정 운영에 필요한 예산 총 2조 1천억원이 이미 시도에 내려보낸 지방교부금에 충분히 반영돼 있다는 것이다.

?내년 교부금은 세수증가 등을 반영해 1조 8천억원 가량 증가한 반면 불필요한 학교신설을 줄여 1조원 정도를 감축하는 등 내년 지방교육재정 여건은 올해보다 나아졌다고 교육부는 강조했다.

?교원 명예퇴직 수요도 최근 3년 간 상당히 해소돼 이 부분에서도 4천억원 가량의 절감 효과가 있다는 게 교육부 설명이다.

이 차관은 '여기에 국회도 2일 내년도 정부 예산안 심의 과정에서 국고 목적 예비비 3천억원을 누리과정에 지원하기로 결정했지만 일부 시도 교육감은 여전히 예산편성을 거부한 채 정부에 책임을 떠넘기고 있다'며 '유아와 학부모를 볼모로 한 이런 무책임한 처사를 절대 용납할 수 없다'고 강조했다.

교육부에 따르면 23일 현재 전국 17개 시도 교육청 가운데 울산, 대구, 부산, 경북, 경남, 제주, 대전, 충남, 인천, 충북 등 10곳은 내년도 유치원과 어린이집 예산을 최소 2개월 이상 편성해 당장 새해 초부터 누리과정 지원이 끊기는 상황은 피했다.

나머지 7개 교육청 가운데 세종과 강원, 전북은 유치원 예산은 편성했지만 어린이집 예산은 편성하지 않았고 서울, 경기, 전남, 광주 등 4곳은 어린이집과 유치원 예산 모두 한 푼도 편성하지 않은 상태다.

따라서 이들 7개 지역, 특히 서울과 경기를 포함한 4개 지역에서 당장 내년 1월부터 보육료(어린이집) 및 유치원 교육비 지원이 끊길 위기에 놓인 것이다.

교육부는 예산편성이 안된 이들 교육청을 대상으로 지속적으로 설득 작업을 벌이되 안될 경우 교육감들로 하여금 예산을 심의하는 해당 시의회에 재의를 요구하도록 하고, 이마저도 받아들여지지 않으면 대법원 제소 등 법적 대응도 검토하겠다고 밝혔다.

이 차관은 '내년 1월 조기 추경을 통해 누리과정 예산을 조속히 편성할 것을 강력히 촉구한다'며 '학부모 불안과 사회적 혼란을 야기하는 행위를 즉각 중단하지 않으면 재의요구, 법적대응 등 여러 방법까지 검토하겠다'고 말했다.

이에 대해 누리과정 예산을 미편성했거나 부분 편성한 7곳을 중심으로 한 전국 시도 교육청도 물러서지 않겠다는 입장을 고수했다.

전국시도교육감협의회 회장인 장휘국 광주시교육감은 '정부가 교육감을 상대로 제재할 수 있는 법적 대응은 전혀 근거가 없다'며 '다른 시도 교육감과 협의해 법률을 근거로 대응할 계획'이라고 밝혔다.

민병희 강원도교육감은 '정부가 법적 의무, 책임 등을 말하는 것은 적반하장'이라며 '누리과정에 대한 혼란과 불안, 소모적 대립과 갈등을 해소할 방법은 국가 차원의 법률 정비와 국고 예산 편성밖에 없다'고 목소리를 높였다.

조대현 경기도교육청 대변인은 '교육부야말로 아이들을 볼모로 교육자치를 훼손하려 하고 있다'고 비판했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailchungay@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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