Marginal universities should be weeded out for future
The Ministry of Education revealed a package of measures Thursday designed to speed up the much-protracted reform of Korea's universities. Under the reform measures universities suffering from a dearth of students will need to restructure how they operate or even shut down completely.
The plan comes amid a rapid reduction in the potential student population; a shortage being acutely felt in areas other than Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon Metropolitan City. In consideration of different preferences, the ministry will divide the nation into five regions and apply respective student quota standards for each.
The ministry will announce the quota details for the universities in October, and receive "revamp plans" from them up until March next year. From the second half of 2022, it will embark on restructuring the universities. It said between 30 percent and 50 percent of all universities will be asked to curtail their current student quotas. The ministry will then take gradual steps against "marginal universities" and will eventually close down some of them should they be judged to stand little chance of staying afloat.
The ministry's decision is belated but in the right direction. Many universities especially those outside the capital and its greater metropolitan area are failing to fill their student quotas. By March this year, the number of unfilled places across the country stood at 40,586 and this will likely increase further year by year. It is not too much to say that many provincial universities face the growing crisis of "extinction" unless they become equipped with a better education environment and recruit the appropriate number of students.
Korea's low birthrate has been the main reason for the difficulties universities are facing; but additionally, some have also been struggling with diverse irregularities and ethical lapses surrounding the owners of the institutions and their relatives.
University restructuring is significant and should be carried out in consideration of the nation's future. According to the Institute for Management Development based in Switzerland last year, South Korea's educational competitiveness ranked 27th of 63 countries. Furthermore, its competitiveness in university education stood at 48th.
Korea has heavy reliance on human resources, and we are now living in an era where national competitiveness in state-of-the-art technology such as semiconductors has a far-flung impact, even on national security. The importance of nurturing talented manpower cannot be overemphasized, so universities should take the lead role in producing highly qualified individuals needed for our future.
Given this, we have to express concern over the ministry's latest method as it is unlikely lead to speed up the much-needed restructuring. Though the government attempted reform efforts beginning 2013, only 18 schools have been closed over the past years. Unless the government moves up its drive toward restructuring, it will inflict damage on students. It is time for the administration to weed out "zombie universities" at the earliest date possible.
The Ministry of Education revealed a package of measures Thursday designed to speed up the much-protracted reform of Korea's universities. Under the reform measures universities suffering from a dearth of students will need to restructure how they operate or even shut down completely.
The plan comes amid a rapid reduction in the potential student population; a shortage being acutely felt in areas other than Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon Metropolitan City. In consideration of different preferences, the ministry will divide the nation into five regions and apply respective student quota standards for each.
The ministry will announce the quota details for the universities in October, and receive "revamp plans" from them up until March next year. From the second half of 2022, it will embark on restructuring the universities. It said between 30 percent and 50 percent of all universities will be asked to curtail their current student quotas. The ministry will then take gradual steps against "marginal universities" and will eventually close down some of them should they be judged to stand little chance of staying afloat.
The ministry's decision is belated but in the right direction. Many universities especially those outside the capital and its greater metropolitan area are failing to fill their student quotas. By March this year, the number of unfilled places across the country stood at 40,586 and this will likely increase further year by year. It is not too much to say that many provincial universities face the growing crisis of "extinction" unless they become equipped with a better education environment and recruit the appropriate number of students.
Korea's low birthrate has been the main reason for the difficulties universities are facing; but additionally, some have also been struggling with diverse irregularities and ethical lapses surrounding the owners of the institutions and their relatives.
University restructuring is significant and should be carried out in consideration of the nation's future. According to the Institute for Management Development based in Switzerland last year, South Korea's educational competitiveness ranked 27th of 63 countries. Furthermore, its competitiveness in university education stood at 48th.
Korea has heavy reliance on human resources, and we are now living in an era where national competitiveness in state-of-the-art technology such as semiconductors has a far-flung impact, even on national security. The importance of nurturing talented manpower cannot be overemphasized, so universities should take the lead role in producing highly qualified individuals needed for our future.
Given this, we have to express concern over the ministry's latest method as it is unlikely lead to speed up the much-needed restructuring. Though the government attempted reform efforts beginning 2013, only 18 schools have been closed over the past years. Unless the government moves up its drive toward restructuring, it will inflict damage on students. It is time for the administration to weed out "zombie universities" at the earliest date possible.
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