By Lee Hyo-sik
The government has asked universities to freeze tuition fees for the upcoming semester as part of its efforts to curb the rising costs of goods and services. But the country’s major four-year public and private universities have rejected the request from the government, saying it will raise tuition by as much as 3 percent this year.
In a meeting with the heads of 22 notable universities across the nation, Friday, Lee Ju-ho, minister of education, science and technology, asked them to keep the 2011 tuition fees at last year’s level, citing growing concerns over surging consumer prices in recent weeks. Those attending the gathering included presidents of Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University and Chonbuk National University.
“Changes in educational costs at higher-learning institutions have an important bearing on overall inflation. We asked universities to refrain from raising tuition fees as inflationary pressure is rapidly building up,” Lee said. He then promised to expand financial and other incentives to schools that opt to freeze tuition this year.
Over the past few years, universities, and students and their parents have been at odds over tuition hikes. Schools keep trying to raise education bills, saying it needs more money to provide higher-quality services and improve facilities. But students and parents continue to oppose it, arguing schools first need to slash their bloated operational expenses and diversify income sources, rather than always resorting to collecting more money from students.
But university heads showed a lukewarm attitude toward Lee’s request, saying they will raise tuition fees by less than 3 percent in 2011.
“Even if schools raise tuition costs this year, it will be less than 3 percent. The tuition review committee will hold a meeting soon and make a decision at our discretion,” said Korea University President Lee Ki-soo, who is also chairman of the Korean Council for University Education.
The government is waging an all-out war against inflation since the beginning of the year amid surging food prices. The cost of vegetables and other agricultural products have been showing a sharp upward curve due to a supply shortage as a result of bad weather conditions at home and abroad.
Rising prices of oil and other raw material have put upward pressure on consumer prices, with rents soaring amid a shortage of home supplies and consumers reluctant to buy homes.
The government and the governing Grand National Party (GNP) Friday agreed to expand the supply of state-stocked agricultural and fisheries produce, freeze subway fees and other public service charges in the first half of the year and increase the supply of public housing units.
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