Professional law, medical schools due in 2003

Education Minister Lee Don-Hee disclosed Saturday that his ministry will set up a promotion committee for the introduction of professional law and medical graduate schools in order to positively promote the new school system.

In an exclusive interview with Dong-A Ilbo, Minister Lee said the new measure was based on years of research and public hearings.

In this connection, related officials said that the ministry will form 15-member promotion committees for professional law and medical schools within next month under the jurisdiction of the Education Ministry. The committees will be entrusted with working out concrete measures for the new system to be formally introduced in 2003, they said. Officials added that there could be some problems with the installation of specialized law schools but in case of medical graduate schools, there will be few difficulties, as major universities such as Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea are in favor of the new school system.

Stating that the current knowledge-based society demands specialized manpower, Minister Lee said that it is necessary for the present system, which emphasizes state tests, to be transformed into an education-centered system.

However, Lee noted that the proposed system will be simultaneously implemented with the press school system, as the abrupt enforcement of the new system could entail new problems. Therefore, the minister continued, the new system may well be introduced into the universities that want it first.

Pointing out that some 8,000 students with doctorate degrees are graduating annually but a considerable number fail to find suitable employment, the education minister said that his ministry will form a human resources development committee consisting of related ministers to discuss in-depth measures for the utilization of highly educated manpower.