Committee Denies Rumored English Education Reform

The presidential transition committee denied yesterday formulating any plan for English education reform at the government level, despite media reports to the contrary.

In a briefing, committee spokesman Lee Dong-gwan said, “The English education reform proposal has brought about widespread controversy due to a misunderstanding. The incoming government has no plan to initiate so-called English immersion education at schools. The committee made no announcement on this.”

Under an English immersion education system, English and other subjects are taught in English. Speculation has spread since Thursday that the committee’s social affairs, education and cultural subcommittee will initiate the education reform within this year. This has invited heavy criticism that hasty policy change will only create confusion in education.

“The transition committee has made no announcement on English education reform to be introduced this year,” said subcommittee member Lee Joo-ho. “The media has reported the plan as definitive, creating great confusion. Autonomous educational institutions or school districts can initiate an English immersion education system on their own, yet the government will not lead it.”

“Contrary to media reports, the so-called three–strike system, under which English teachers must stop teaching based on teacher evaluation results, was proposed a year ago, as was the idea of having fluent English speakers exempt from military service as substitute English teachers at schools. The transition committee has never considered such plans.”

The National Superintendents’ Council and the Korea Federation of Teacher’s Associations asked President-elect Lee Myung-bak Friday that English education reform be introduced gradually in phases, taking into account public sentiment and the education reality of the nation.

The transition committee also denied that from 2013, the English section of the college entrance exam will comprise reading, listening, speaking and writing. A member said the plan is to expand the section starting with reading and listening in 2013 to include speaking and writing in 2015 at the earliest.

To recruit teachers who can conduct classes in English, the transition committee said it could introduce a teacher qualification system for those holding TESOL (Teachers of English to Speaker of Other Languages) and other teaching qualifications, as well as hiring master’s degree holders or above from English-speaking countries.

ceric@donga.com