Religious Groups Consider a Constitutional Petition for the Private School Law

After attending a joint press interview at the National Press Club in Seoul on October 29, the Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Korea (chairman: Sohn Byeong-du) and the National Laymen’s Council of Church in Korea (chairman: Kim Bong-kap) said, “We are opposed to a revision plan for the Private School Law that is promoted by the Uri Party.”

The two organizations insisted in the statement, “A revision plan for the Private School Law, which contains an intention to deprive an autonomous right of private schools and rationalize uniform education, is not a revision, but rather an undesirable amendment. If the ruling party does not accept our demand to oppose the revision of the Private School Law, we will take strong measures, such as a Constitutional petition.”

They asked for an introduction of an open system for the board of directors, withdrawal of the personnel committee, withdrawal of deliberation and engagement in school budgets of the school management committee and the board of regents of the university system, guarantee of private schools’ autonomous right to recruit students, and an autonomous right to organize academic curriculums.

Currently, 78 percent of kindergarten students, 20 percent of middle school students, 54 percent of high school students, and 78 percent of four-year university students are educated in private schools.

The Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Korea that announced its statement has 25 membership organizations such as an association of catholic nurses, a catholic tuberculosis association, and a catholic labor youth association. Lay believers of 33 protestant churches and groups such as the Union, Unification, and Union Orthodox of the Presbyterian Church of Korea are also participating in the National Laymen’s Council of Church in Korea.

Cha-Su Kim kimcs@donga.com