School superintendent`s `kind` workshops?

A parent in May 2011 posted on the homepage of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education that restrooms at middle school must be renovated. The parent added a picture of a bathroom to the post, saying, "After my daughter complained about her school bathroom, I tried to see what the real condition was like. I was shocked to learn that Seoul has a restroom like that. I was appalled that a restroom at a school, where students spend more than half of their day, was much worse than that of a highway rest area."

The problem with school facilities is not just about restrooms. Last year, 909 of 6,354 schools got a rating of "C" in safety, a category that requires full attention, and 31 schools were rated "D," or the level of a disaster-risk facility. Moreover, 13.8 percent of schools urgently require maintenance or renovation. Statistics show that 77.2 percent of kindergartens and schools in Seoul allegedly have asbestos, which is known for causing cancer. Certain teachers complain of schools in the 21st century being from the 1980s. The government allocates budget for school renovations every year but the amount is insufficient. Schools in Seoul requested 357.5 billion won (302.9 million U.S. dollars) but got just 107.3 billion won (90.9 million dollars). It will apparently take a while for schools to be fully equipped with facilities tailored for students.

Seoul school superintendent Kwak No-hyun, who returned to office in January after serving a prison term for bribery, has stirred controversy again by holding hands-on training for his staff five times this year. The training cost 127.3 million won (107,880 dollars) or a little more than 25 million won (21,190 dollars) per session. Kwak reportedly said in the training sessions, "Please tell me frankly what you think is a problem." He even gave awards to employees. The training seemed hardly urgent in improving operations at schools. Critics claim the sessions were part of his plan to win over his staff and people around him.

After returning to office, Kwak seemed to be a rush. He pushed for a much-disputed ordinance on student human rights and abused his right to appoint personnel. He spent 300 million won (254,240 dollars) from the educational office`s budget to film a movie that glorifies his policies. The Supreme Court will hand out a ruling on other charges he faces in July. Kwak is likely to resign from his post after the verdict is rendered. He could have looked better had he tried to improve the poor facilities at schools instead of his own image.

Chief Editorial Writer Hong Chan-sik (chansik@donga.com)