Greeting Fees Will Disadvantage Students

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) is facing criticism over its policy of putting students whose parents are disclosed to have offered greeting fees to teachers at a disadvantage in terms of types of interclass or interschool competition prize qualifications.

The SMOE said yesterday that it decided that students cannot qualify for any prize whatsoever if their parents gave teachers greeting fees, in an attempt to establish transparent education environment that has been ongoing since January.

An SMOE official said, “Students whose parents gave greeting fees will be exempted not only from awards of good conduct, but also from recommendations for interschool prizes.”

He said, however, “Honor prizes in the school and interclass or interschool competition prizes will still be awarded normally.”

Although the SMOE`s policy above would not affect students’ academic record, it will keep some students from being candidates for types of prizes that require school recommendations based on extracurricular activities, such as voluntary services and club activities.

The teachers’ association, as well as parents’ associations that were supposed to sign the joint movement agreement with the SOME, is opposing the policy.

kky@donga.com