The Ministry of Education recently announced that 21 universities out
of 75 were chosen to be funded through the Program for Industry Needs-Matched Education (PRIME) project, the largest government subsidy program for higher education institutions.
This program is designed to nurture science and technology education to meet the growing demand for experts in these areas. To comply with the program, universities will expand engineering and natural science departments while downsizing those in the humanities.
There are multiple problems with the PRIME program that policymakers need to think about and produce countermeasures to assuage the growing concerns of students.
First, the government-led restructuring program lacks consideration for high school students. Their position should be given priority in any university-related policy because their strenuous education is geared solely toward university entrance. Universities selected for the PRIME program are reportedly planning to readjust the student quota starting in the 2017 school year. With only six months left until the university entrance examination, the ministry's announcement makes it even tougher for seniors, particularly those who are aiming to major in humanities, to prepare for university as the student quota will be reduced. Also, PRIME could affect current university students as some may face the closure of their departments.
Second, the PRIME project disrupts the very nature of higher education and degrades universities into job-training schools. The government sees this program as a way to deal with youth unemployment, which has gotten worse under the Park Geun-hye administration. A recent state survey shows the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 29 hit 12.5 percent in February, the highest since 1999. But from a larger perspective, a disregard for the humanities and more focus on industry-friendly majors will not be good for promoting balanced growth and competitiveness of Korean universities.
There are several other issues that universities need to think about. The controversy over PRIME should serve as a wakeup call for schools in Korea. Those that did not make it on the list of PRIME beneficiaries are complaining that the selection process was biased. But universities should not rely on government funding to carry out intensive restructuring to stay competitive. They need to self-fund their own reform strategies. It is hard to believe that Korea's universities, which charge some of the highest tuition fees in the world, are depending on the government to finance their restructuring.
of 75 were chosen to be funded through the Program for Industry Needs-Matched Education (PRIME) project, the largest government subsidy program for higher education institutions.
This program is designed to nurture science and technology education to meet the growing demand for experts in these areas. To comply with the program, universities will expand engineering and natural science departments while downsizing those in the humanities.
There are multiple problems with the PRIME program that policymakers need to think about and produce countermeasures to assuage the growing concerns of students.
First, the government-led restructuring program lacks consideration for high school students. Their position should be given priority in any university-related policy because their strenuous education is geared solely toward university entrance. Universities selected for the PRIME program are reportedly planning to readjust the student quota starting in the 2017 school year. With only six months left until the university entrance examination, the ministry's announcement makes it even tougher for seniors, particularly those who are aiming to major in humanities, to prepare for university as the student quota will be reduced. Also, PRIME could affect current university students as some may face the closure of their departments.
Second, the PRIME project disrupts the very nature of higher education and degrades universities into job-training schools. The government sees this program as a way to deal with youth unemployment, which has gotten worse under the Park Geun-hye administration. A recent state survey shows the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 29 hit 12.5 percent in February, the highest since 1999. But from a larger perspective, a disregard for the humanities and more focus on industry-friendly majors will not be good for promoting balanced growth and competitiveness of Korean universities.
There are several other issues that universities need to think about. The controversy over PRIME should serve as a wakeup call for schools in Korea. Those that did not make it on the list of PRIME beneficiaries are complaining that the selection process was biased. But universities should not rely on government funding to carry out intensive restructuring to stay competitive. They need to self-fund their own reform strategies. It is hard to believe that Korea's universities, which charge some of the highest tuition fees in the world, are depending on the government to finance their restructuring.
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