Ensure the 3rd Year of Middle School

The situation of student “illegal trade”: A non-educational situation is happening at schools, which is a trade and bribe between middle school and high school teachers while the number of middle school graduates is lower than that of entering high school students.

The illegal trade in high school non-equalization area of the rural communities and small cities where population is decreasing each year is happening both at regular high schools and trade high schools.

“It is quite different from last year. This year, it is outspoken. They came (to middle school), and ask for hospitality or money (from teachers).” (A teacher of trade high school in North Gyongsang province)

“Some private high schools spend thousands of money on middle schools. It is getting worse. I feel hard to manage a school without money.” (A director of regular high school in South Chungcheong province)

The public high schools adopt expedient measures of drawing money from the budget such as prints production expenses, concerning the audit of Ministry of Education (MOE).

A teacher of high school in Kimhae said, “Especially, the teachers in charge of economically challenged students and their parents are targets of the bribes.” Because of this, a superintendent of education had teachers of the 3rd grade of middle school gather and instructed them not to make any noise during the process of recruiting students several years ago.

A teacher of private high school in South Cheonra province said, “Schools are having a hard time offering hospitality expenses even during school events and not just during the student recruitment.”

Many citizens in Gangwon province initiated the “Sending students to community schools program” and have participated in it for three or four years.

When the entrance examination season comes, teachers in charge of the 3rd grade in the high school non-equalization area gather and allocate students to certain schools according to ideas such as “students within upper 5 percent should go X high school.” After this “significant” meeting, high schools in the district are responsible for the “hospitality” by rotation.

“Recently, we got a phone call indicating that this year is our school’s turn. We have to pay the expense for dinner and beer after the upcoming entrance assessment. It is considerable amount.” (A teacher of regular high school in North Kyoungsang province)

Causes and the attitude of MOE: “Getting a reputation of being a school with low student enrollment is fatal for the school’s image.”

Once a school lacks the quorum, the existence of school is threatened. This is why teachers are clinging to this matter.

A director in South Kyoungsang province said, “It is nonsense that a high school bribes a middle school, an institution of compulsory education. Even universities do not do that. However, it is inevitable for schools to survive.

The MOE is just looking at this situation without any solution.

An official of MOE said, “Soon, the special laws for rural areas will be legislated and become effective, and then the difficulties in inviting new students and the bribe issue will disappear while the educational environment is improved.”