It's the education ministry, stupid!

By Park Moo-jong

When it comes to education, Korean mothers deserve to be called "experts" as men are for soccer. As a result, almost all the parents have their own say about the college entrance examination formula.

University authorities, parents, high school teachers and students have voices different from each other about the government's policy on the exam system, depending on their own interests.

To recall, one of the most famous and successful campaign phrases in modern history, particularly of the United States, may be Bill Clinton's "It's the economy, stupid."

The message did something for the success of the former Arkansas governor in the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign against the then sitting President George H.W. Bush.

Soon, it had had numerous parodies worldwide: "It's the regulation, stupid," "It's still the economy, stupid," and "It's the history, stupid," etc.

I'd like to add one _ "It's the education ministry, stupid."

Since the establishment of the Republic of Korea government in 1948, the college entrance exam formula had been overhauled literally numerous times. Anyone who remembers how many times the system has been altered over the past 70 years deserves to be called a "genius."

As if to compete with each other by holding students and their parents as "hostages," every new government changes the system, irrespective of public opinion, under a stereotyped catchphrase to "discourage out-of-school tutoring and lighten the financial burdens of parents for their kids' private lessons, or gwawoe in Korean.

Korean parents' zeal, especially mothers', for their children's admissions to highly selective universities is unrivalled in the world, enough to be dubbed "notorious."

Indeed, such parents' all-out support of their children has contributed to producing superior human resources for the nation, which helped Korea rise from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War to global admiration.

The college entrance exam formula is a matter of grave concern for parents. And the role of the Ministry of Education is important.

Unfortunately, however, the Moon Jae-in administration has become the target of public rage by abruptly changing the formula, though partially, confusing all the people in the game, so to speak.

It is useless to explain in detail how the education ministry has fluttered the dovecotes. The basic problem is that ministry officials have the whip in hand over the college entrance exam instead of school authorities.

Many foreigners asked me what the secrets are to the incredible performances by Korean lady golfers and archers in international competitions.

I used to reply jokingly, "We don't have any education or sports officials to handle golf or archery exclusively in the education or sports ministry." They are free from any government regulations on sports activities.

Thanks to the new "ideas" of education officials, first-, second- and third-grade high school students will each have to be subject to a different admissions formula. Many parents and students post articles on social media, denouncing the education ministry.

One of them reads: "College entrance exam formula changes every year. What the hell are you doing?" Another reads: "Are you playing with students' lives?"

Many of them question the uselessness of the ministry. "Is this kind of education ministry necessary?" I totally agree with them.

I am curious that Deputy Prime Minister-Education Minister Kim Sang-kon approved the new policy as an "education expert" who was the superintendent of the office of education of Gyeonggi Province.

It is interesting to read a news report that Kim was so clever to sell his second house, a deluxe apartment unit, "Remian Daechi Palace," in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, at 2.37 billion won (about $2.2 million), swiftly, around the end of March, thus avoiding heavy capital gains tax on multi-house owners that was enforced from this month. He saved 600 million won of tax. The top education policymaker might be too busy to conduct a rigorous review on the new policy.

The education ministry should take its hands off the college entrance formula as it did until the late 1960s, and leave it in the hands of universities.

It is common sense that each university has the right to choose the students they want through their own exams and interviews.

The ministry's role should be limited to supervising corrupt, unfair and illegal practices related to the recruitment of freshmen. It seems that education officials think they will have nothing to do if they take their hands off the college entrance process.

A father in his late 40s complained, "I don't care that officials take my tax, but I honestly hope that they will not try to do something new without listening to our opinion." It is bizarre that government officials have not listened to the public.

Education policies should be far-sighted. The ministry, if it exists any way, should formulate policies after reflecting different opinions of the people.

It is sad for us to have to see the ministry play the role of a troublemaker, instead.

Deregulation has been one of the top policy goals of past and present governments. Changing education policies so discreetly and too frequently is a national disaster.

Students and their parents are dying to hear, "It's the education ministry, great."

Park Moo-jong is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper founded in 1951 from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974. He can be reached at moojong@ktimes.com or emjei29@gmail.com.