Assemblyman Jeong Gisung: "62.2 Billion Won in Student Education Allowances Issued... Only 25.1 Billion Won Spent"

"Need to expand where the allowance can be used, including by allowing payments for cram school fees"

The low execution rate and effectiveness of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Student Education Allowance, funded with tens of billions of won, came under scrutiny. The education offices also faced strong criticism from the city council for submitting inadequate materials for its administrative audit.

Assemblyman Jeong Gisung (Jangseong), a member of the Education Committee of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council, called for improvements to the program during an administrative audit held on November 3, pointing to how the Student Education Allowance was being used.

Jeong Giseong, member of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council.

According to Jeong, budgets for the Student Education Allowance were set at 52.2 billion won in 2024, 86.8 billion won in 2025, and 83.1 billion won in 2026. However, of the 62.2 billion won in points issued as of the end of September this year, only 25.1 billion won had actually been spent, leaving the execution rate at just 30.2% of the total budget.

"What matters is not how much was issued, but how much it actually expanded educational opportunities," Jeong said. "In rural areas such as Jangseong, there are far too few educational, cultural, and sports facilities and affiliated merchants, so students are forced to travel to Naju or larger cities to spend their allowance before the December 15 deadline."

Hwang Seong-hwan, deputy superintendent of education in Jeonnam, responded that "many students save their points and then use them at the end of the year, just before moving up to the next grade, to buy high-priced learning devices such as tablets and laptops." He said the office checks spending each month.

In line with the integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju, Jeong proposed expanding the places where the allowance can be used so that students in neighboring areas such as Jangseong, Damyang, Hwasun, and Gokseong can also use it at affiliated merchants in Gwangju. He also argued that the authorities should consider allowing payments for Korean, English, and math lessons at cram schools to support rural students who urgently need help with basic academic skills.

Sim Min-cheol, deputy superintendent of education in Gwangju, said of the proposal to let students use the allowance at affiliated merchants in Gwangju, "It is desirable in terms of giving students more choice, but it directly affects sales for small local businesses, so we will hold working-level consultations with Jeonnam."

However, Hwang Seong-hwan, deputy superintendent of education in Jeonnam, opposed allowing payments for cram school fees, saying, "When the program was designed, the Ministry of Health and Welfare specified that the allowance must not be used for private education." Allegations of misuse raised by a civic group in July, including purchases of sunglasses, sharing the allowance between siblings, and circumventing the rules to pay for cram schools, also became an issue. The two education offices said they had completed case-by-case reviews and further strengthened the role of the committee that selects eligible merchants.

Regarding the Ministry of Education's plan to cut up to 10 billion won from the general grants given to education offices that provide cash benefits, Sim Min-cheol, deputy superintendent of education in Gwangju, said, "This is an educational activity support program, which is fundamentally different from cash benefits," adding, "If the criteria are applied differently, we will actively make our case."

Meanwhile, the two education offices are pursuing the integration of Jeonnam's Student Education Allowance and Gwangju's "Kkumdeurimi" program, with 2028 as the first year of the unified program. Their plan is to unify the programs around middle and high school students in 2028, when elementary school students will no longer be eligible following the expansion of the child allowance.

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