Private Schools Threaten to Close Schools

In opposition against the private school reform bill which passed through the National Assembly on December 9, the Korea Private School Foundation Association is preparing to close their schools, threatening to refuse admission of new students in the school year of 2006.

This revised bill will require external board members to take up more than one quarter of the board in private schools, and the school steering committee or the college council will be given the right to nominate twice the required number of external board members and also final assignment rights.

Additionally, in order to strengthen supervision within the private school, one auditor nominated by the school steering committee or college council is to be elected, while the right to cancel approval of a private school board member who engages in illegal acts has been enforced.

Meanwhile, the private school reform bill was forcibly passed after fierce struggles between members of the ruling and opposition parties.

Against the interception of the Grand National Party, National Assembly speaker Kim Won-ki brought up and executed the voting of the bill that was drafted by the Uri Party, and the bill was passed with 140 approvals, four objections and 10 renunciations among the 154 members present. In the process, the Uri Party and the Grand National Party members engaged in physical struggles in front of the stand.

After the passing of the bill, Grand National Party spokesman Lee Kye-jin asserted, “This is a plot to hand over the school to radical powers. There is suspicion of proxy voting.”

Kim Won-ki adjourned the National Assembly after passing the reform bill, thus ending 100 days of the regular sessions. Consequently, deliberation on next year’s budget, and major unfinished bills such as the general real estate taxation bill, the irregular worker reform bill and the Iraq troop dispatch agreement bill has been postponed until the temporary sessions that will commence soon.

Yong-Gwan Jung In-Chul Lee yongari@donga.com inchul@donga.com