Controversy on Korean Teachers’ Wage

It has been revealed that when compared to the average wage, Korean teachers are earning top wage among teachers of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. But, considering their working hours including extra business hours and the ratio of teachers to students, their working condition is said to be the worst.

According to an education report released by OECD, when it is computed based on the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), a Korean teacher with 15 years of career was making 39,000 dollars per year, which is 2.5 times more than average Korean wage. It is the highest salary among OECD’s 30 countries.

The PPP is to compare the value of currency that can buy same goods or service, such as hamburger. If the price of a hamburger is 3 dollars in U.S. and 2,100 won in Korea, the value of one dollar based on PPP is 700 won, which is much smaller than the actual exchange rate (1,300 won per 1 dollar). When it is calculated based on this system, the annual salary of Korean middle school teachers is 39,265 dollars, which is the second highest wage following Switzerland (52,247 dollars). When the salary of a middle school teacher is compared with the average wage, a teacher in Switzerland was making 1.88 times more than the average person, 1.63 times in Germany, 0.99 in U.S., 0.91 in Norway, and 0.89 in England. A teacher in Korea makes 2.5 times more than that of an average person.

For a high school teacher, a Korean teacher was making 39.265 dollars, the same amount a middle school teacher makes. It was less than that of Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France, but more than that of U.S., England, Sweden, and Hungary.

In addition, it is known that the annual teaching time per one teacher is, in case of an elementary school teacher, 658 hours, which is shorter than the average 801 teaching hours of OECD countries teachers. For a middle school teacher and a high school teacher, it was 507 hours and 492 hours each. They are shorter than OECD teachers’ average 716, and 662 hours.

However, when the extra business hours is added, Korean teachers work 44 hours per week, which is the longest hours among 18 countries, the same hours that teachers in Norway work.

The average ratio of a teacher to students of OECD was 18 students in elementary school, 15.2 students in middle school, and 14.1 students in high school. But, in Korea, the ratio was 33.2, 21.9, 22.5 students respectively, which is the highest ratio among OECD members. Only Mexico had the same level of ratio among other countries.

When the report, which said that the Korean teachers are earning the highest salary among 30 OECD countries, was revealed, Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations (KFTA) showed a strong repulsive reaction announcing a statement that asked Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MEHR) to elucidate on the report.

The KFTA said, ``we cannot accept the statistics that says the calculated annual wage based on the PPP is 39,265 dollars (about 47 million won), because the actual the wage of a teacher with 15 years career is about 30 million won.`` ``The government must officially explain the report they sent to OECD``, they demanded.

But, the MEHR explained saying, ``the report by OECD was made based on the PPP, and it does not say that the actual salary is 47 million won.``

Each country’s statistics was computed based on the same OECD standard. In case of Korea, representatives from Korean Educational Development Institution (KEDI), MEHR, and KRTA participated and examined the statistical resources. In the resources, teachers’ salary and extra benefits, which all teachers commonly receive, were included. And other allowances, such as the remote-place allowance and family allowance, were excluded.

The salary of a middle school teacher that the MEHR sent to OECD is · Starting salary = 15.5271 million won, · 15 years career = 25.8192 million won, · Highest pay = 48.5850 million won. If they were converted into dollars based on the PPP, · Starting salary = 23,613 dollars, · 15 years career = 39,265 dollars, and · Highest pay step = 62,135 dollars.

Each country’s PPP that International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and OECD calculated is a monetary unit which can buy a same commodity with a one U.S. dollar. Korea’s PPP in 1999 was 657 won per dollar.

Kim Sae-Won claire@donga.com