Minister Yoon, NEIS to Be Launched in Six Months

˝Second-grade students as well as seniors in high schools will not have to be returned to the old Client Server system against the new database system NEIS,˝ said embattled Minister of Education Yoon Deok-hong on May 29. ˝Whether to go back to CS will eventually depend on decision by each school.˝

˝It is true that we feel pressure from some provisions contained in the agreement with the Korea Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), but schools will be able to decide themselves whether to return to the CS system for second-grade students,˝ Yoon said as he testified before the National Assembly education committee. ˝We will craft necessary measures by taking into account the school environment.˝

The ministry earlier agreed with KTU that ˝NEIS will be used for high school seniors but for students in lower grades, school affairs, health and admission areas will be returned to the old CS system before February next year.”

His remarks at the National Assembly are, therefore, seen as denial of binding power of the agreement, and will likely provoke another controversy over the school database system.

When asked the agreement means scrapping of NEIS or delaying adoption of the system by members of the Grand National Party, he replied, ˝I believe that we will reach a conclusion that NEIS is better for students and teachers after the six-month reevaluation period. Then we will be able to implement the system backed by public consensus.˝

˝(Once we reach the conclusion), we will push ahead with NEIS even if KTU continues to oppose the plan,” Yoon explained.

When asked he is willing to step down, he said, ˝I am not eager to keep my position, but I believe that I am the one that has to resolve the current crisis,˝ virtually refusing to step down.

When lawmakers asked who reported him about the results of the negotiation with KTU in the evening of May 25, the minister replied, ˝Mr. Park Tae-joo (head of the labor-management reform taskforce in Chong Wae Dae) informed me of the results,˝ indicating that the taskforce team dealing with mid and long-term national affairs was involved in the negotiation process.

Hyung-gwon Pu bookum90@donga.com