Korea, The Highest Level in Educational Expense among OECD Nations

It was known that Korea is the highest nation of educational expense of 6.8% to GDP among 30 OECD member nations.

Korea also records that educational expense of private sector including private tuition fees is 2.7% of GDP and more than half of public education expense (4.1%). It is due to the parents` burdens such as private tuition fee, etc.

It is the results analysis of `Educational Report of OECD in 2002` obtained exclusively by Dong-A Ilbo at 11th.

According to the report, Korea records that educational expense of private sector is higher by 1.1 % than US, the second highest country of 1.6% of private sector. So Korea is indicated to establish normalization policy of public education urgently.

The educational achievement for 15 years old students, Korean students show excellent in the achievement. In science, Korea records best with Japan, the second with New Zealand in Math. The number of students per class has improved very much, but is does not reach the average of OECD. In case of Primary school, the average of OECD is 21.9 students, but Korea is 36.5 students, the highest among OECD member nations. According the first survey for 10 nations excluding Korea about `Annual Return to the Investment on Tertiary Education`, the annual return was 8.17%. It was a higher return than real interest rate in all of the nations for the survey. So it demonstrates the common saying that the investment on tertiary education is profitable.

Jong sik Kong kong@donga.com