Education Ministry to Withdraw Subsidy Promise

The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae yesterday commented on the controversy surrounding the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, saying that it was “wrong” that ministry officials visited their alma maters and provided special grants even though it was “a practice in the past.”

At a meeting of senior presidential secretaries, presidential chief of staff Yu Woo-ik said, “It is wrong not to abolish the past practice and repeating it.” Other chief secretaries also criticized the incident.

A source at the presidential office said, “Though they argue that they followed the practice, there is no question that they should be reprimanded. Their behavior does not accord with the government’s will for change and reform. If they wanted to give grants from the government budget to their alma maters, they should have promised to do so from their private pockets.” He added that the ministry will likely take its own measures.

The ministry also issued an apology for the controversy yesterday.

Its statement read, “It has been a practice that the executive officials visit their alma maters around Teachers’ Day and give financial support for improvements. But we admit that it no longer runs in accordance with the new administration’s will to change.” In particular, we humbly accept the criticism that the grants are given unfairly, only to the schools related with ministry officials.”

The Education Ministry also said that it will withdraw the promise for grants made by 10 officials including the minister by seeking the schools’ understanding. In the future, the ministry will abolish the practice of giving schools grants from the government’s special subsidy budget upon high-ranking officials’ visits.

Regarding the practice, the ministry explained that it had been encouraging its staffs to visit their alma maters around Teachers’ Day every year in order to promote the culture of respecting teachers. However, due to the staff’s low participation in its drive, the ministry had decided to encourage senior officials’ visit to their old schools by providing special grants.

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