By Choi Sung-jin
The ratio of the private burden for public educational spending fell below 2 percent of Korea's gross domestic product for the first time in two decades this year.
Accordingly, the nation's ranking on the list of private burden for public education also fell from second to third among the 35 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development plus 11 non-member nations, according to "Education At a Glance," an OECD report on the educational indexes of 46 countries.
The Korean government spent 4.0 percent of the nation's GDP on public education n 2013, lower than the OECD's average of 4.5 percent. The ratio of private burden in Korea stood at 1.9 percent of GDP, far higher than the 0.7 percent on average among OECD members.
The nation recorded a decline of 0.1 of a percentage point from 2.0 percent last year, however, falling below the 2-percent range for the first time since the OECD first surveyed these figures in 1996.
Korea's private burden ratio ranked third among the 46 countries, following Chile and the United States. Korea had topped the list for 14 years up to 2014 but fell to second for the first time last year and to third this year.
The gradual decline is attributable to the introduction of state scholarships for college students, which increased the government's spending for higher education. The government's burden in higher education edged up by 0.1 of a percentage point to 0.9 percent, while the private burden in that particular area fell by 0.2 of a percentage point to 1.3 percent.
The nation's public education expenditure remained at $8,658 per student, far lower than the OECD's average of $10,493. The numbers of Korean students per teacher in 2014 were 16.9 at elementary schools, 16.6 at middle schools and 14.5 at high schools, higher by1.8, 3.6 and 1.2 students, respectively, than the OECD average.
The number of students per class were 23.6 at elementary schools and 31.6 at secondary schools, also higher, by 2.5 and 8.5 students, respectively, than the average of OECD countries.
The initial salary of national and public elementary school teachers was $26,910 on average and that of secondary school teachers was $26,815, lower than the OECD's average of $31,028 for elementary school teachers, $32,485 for middle school teachers and $34,186 for high school teachers.
The legal salaries of teachers in their 15th year of service in Korea were $47,352 for elementary school teachers and $47,257 for secondary school teachers, higher than the OECD averages ranging between $42,675 and $46,379.
Korea's school enrollment ratios were 98 percent for those between the ages of 5 to 14, 87 percent for those aged 15 to 19 and 31 percent for those aged 20 to 29, all of which were higher than the averages of OECD countries.
The completion ratio of higher education for people between the ages of 25 to 34 stood at 69 percent in 2015, higher than the OECD average of 42 percent, but that of the people between the ages of 55 to 64 remained at 18 percent, lower than the OECD's average of 26 percent.
If both parents only graduated from high school or less, the possibility of their children finishing higher education was 43 percent in Korea, nearly twice that of the OECD average of 22 percent, pointing to the high upward mobility of the education ladder in this country.
Assuming the wage of a high school graduate is 100, the relative wage for a graduate of a two-year college, a graduate of a four-year college and a graduate with an advanced degree were 112, 145 and 196, respectively, here. These showed largely similar gaps to the OECD averages, which stood at 120 percent, 148 percent and 191 percent, respectively, if the representative wage of a high school graduate is 100.
The ratio of the private burden for public educational spending fell below 2 percent of Korea's gross domestic product for the first time in two decades this year.
Accordingly, the nation's ranking on the list of private burden for public education also fell from second to third among the 35 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development plus 11 non-member nations, according to "Education At a Glance," an OECD report on the educational indexes of 46 countries.
The Korean government spent 4.0 percent of the nation's GDP on public education n 2013, lower than the OECD's average of 4.5 percent. The ratio of private burden in Korea stood at 1.9 percent of GDP, far higher than the 0.7 percent on average among OECD members.
The nation recorded a decline of 0.1 of a percentage point from 2.0 percent last year, however, falling below the 2-percent range for the first time since the OECD first surveyed these figures in 1996.
Korea's private burden ratio ranked third among the 46 countries, following Chile and the United States. Korea had topped the list for 14 years up to 2014 but fell to second for the first time last year and to third this year.
The gradual decline is attributable to the introduction of state scholarships for college students, which increased the government's spending for higher education. The government's burden in higher education edged up by 0.1 of a percentage point to 0.9 percent, while the private burden in that particular area fell by 0.2 of a percentage point to 1.3 percent.
The nation's public education expenditure remained at $8,658 per student, far lower than the OECD's average of $10,493. The numbers of Korean students per teacher in 2014 were 16.9 at elementary schools, 16.6 at middle schools and 14.5 at high schools, higher by1.8, 3.6 and 1.2 students, respectively, than the OECD average.
The number of students per class were 23.6 at elementary schools and 31.6 at secondary schools, also higher, by 2.5 and 8.5 students, respectively, than the average of OECD countries.
The initial salary of national and public elementary school teachers was $26,910 on average and that of secondary school teachers was $26,815, lower than the OECD's average of $31,028 for elementary school teachers, $32,485 for middle school teachers and $34,186 for high school teachers.
The legal salaries of teachers in their 15th year of service in Korea were $47,352 for elementary school teachers and $47,257 for secondary school teachers, higher than the OECD averages ranging between $42,675 and $46,379.
Korea's school enrollment ratios were 98 percent for those between the ages of 5 to 14, 87 percent for those aged 15 to 19 and 31 percent for those aged 20 to 29, all of which were higher than the averages of OECD countries.
The completion ratio of higher education for people between the ages of 25 to 34 stood at 69 percent in 2015, higher than the OECD average of 42 percent, but that of the people between the ages of 55 to 64 remained at 18 percent, lower than the OECD's average of 26 percent.
If both parents only graduated from high school or less, the possibility of their children finishing higher education was 43 percent in Korea, nearly twice that of the OECD average of 22 percent, pointing to the high upward mobility of the education ladder in this country.
Assuming the wage of a high school graduate is 100, the relative wage for a graduate of a two-year college, a graduate of a four-year college and a graduate with an advanced degree were 112, 145 and 196, respectively, here. These showed largely similar gaps to the OECD averages, which stood at 120 percent, 148 percent and 191 percent, respectively, if the representative wage of a high school graduate is 100.
![[INTERVIEW] How AmazeVR revolutionizes aespa's LYNK-POP concert](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/4431833759c44bdaa414cb314e90f2fe.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[REVIEW] Musical 'Monte Cristo' returns with riveting tale of vengeance, love](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/3934be1fa6844478b619a015d610bc5b.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Meet the man behind giant rubber ducks that once took over Seoul](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/df32c60c8204448e98ccdb9841366bec.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
