Gyeongsangnam-do Education Superintendent Kwon Soonki: "Unilateral Fiscal Restructuring Is Extremely Dangerous... Medical School Enrollment Turmoil Repeats"

"Unilateral fiscal restructuring that ignores the realities of schools could cause significant disruption."

Kwon Soon-ki, superintendent of education for Gyeongsangnam-do, visited the National Assembly to express concern about the government's proposed bill to partially amend the Local Education Finance Grant Act, calling for the National Assembly to devise countermeasures and carefully review the bill.

On October 19, Superintendent Kwon met in turn with National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik, People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik, and Lee In-sun, secretary of the National Assembly Education Committee, alongside the Korea Council of Education Superintendents.

Kwon Soongi, superintendent of education for Gyeongsangnam-do (second from left), visited the National Assembly with the Korea Educational Superintendents Association and met with National Assembly Speaker Cho Jungsik, People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeomsik, and Lee Inseon, secretary of the National Assembly Education Committee. [Photo provided by the Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education]

He said, "We are unable to secure enough teachers to meet the legally mandated staffing levels, and it is also difficult to meet demand for essential personnel, such as school meal staff," adding, "Unilateral cuts to education funding that fail to take future educational needs and fiscal conditions into account are extremely dangerous."

He also said, "The previous push to increase medical school enrollment caused considerable turmoil, and this restructuring plan is also being pushed through unilaterally without considering conditions on the ground or whether it will be accepted," emphasizing, "This is a major policy that will change the foundation of local education finance. It must be preceded by thorough communication with the education community and social consensus, rather than being driven solely by fiscal considerations."

He also expressed regret that the plan had been designated a "budget-linked bill," meaning it would automatically be referred to the plenary session.

Superintendent Kwon said, "The local education finance restructuring plan should be excluded from bills automatically referred to the plenary session," and called for "substantive measures to maintain the current structure linking grants to domestic tax revenue."

The Korea Council of Education Superintendents (right) visits the National Assembly to voice concerns over the government's push to partially amend the Local Education Finance Grant Act. [Photo provided by the Gyeongnam Office of Education]

The government previously announced that it would abolish the current system, under which 20.79% of total domestic tax revenue is allocated as a source of local education finance grants, and introduce a new grant formula that reflects changes in the school-age population and the nominal growth rate.

Under the new system, starting next year, grants will be calculated using the formula: "previous year's grant × (1 + average nominal growth rate over the most recent three years) × {1 + (average change in the school-age population over the most recent three years × 0.35)}."

Education officials estimate that if the proposed plan is implemented, calculating grants by applying the "average nominal growth rate over the most recent three years" and "35% of the average change in the school-age population over the most recent three years" to the previous year's grant would leave next year's grants about 20% below the target amount.

The proposed amendment has been included among "budget-linked bills" so that it can be processed alongside the budget. Under the National Assembly Act, if the relevant standing committee does not process it by November 30, it can be automatically referred to the plenary session for consideration.

Education superintendents nationwide, including Superintendent Kwon, as well as teachers, parents, and civic groups, have voiced concern over the proposal.

They are calling for the current structure linking grants to domestic tax revenue to be maintained, pointing out that basic education funding needs—including school operations, facility management, and staff salaries—persist even as the school-age population declines, while new educational needs, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digital education, personalized education, mental health, care, and safety, are expanding.

They are also demanding the formation of an official consultative body that includes provincial and metropolitan education superintendents and a full reconsideration of the plan, saying it was drawn up without substantive consultation with the superintendents, who directly manage local education finances and are responsible for schools.

They also agree that the plan should be excluded from the budget-linked bills so that it does not pass the plenary session alongside the budget.

Superintendent Kwon said, "Education funding should not be cut simply because the school-age population is declining; instead, a stable foundation must be maintained to support the transition to future-oriented education and address educational disparities between regions." He added, "We will work actively with education offices nationwide to ensure students in Gyeongsangnam-do can continue learning in a stable environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.