Education authorities face scrutiny amid calls for reform

“When I become president, I will abolish the Department of Education.” When then-U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made this remark on the campaign trail last fall, it drew a bitter smile. It seemed to confirm that the Department of Education is a popular punching bag even across the globe. Calls to dismantle education authorities have long appeared as election pledges, not only in the United States but also in South Korea. Seen as a symbol of public frustration and distrust in education policy, scrapping education authorities can be a cathartic crowd-pleaser.

At first, Trump’s vow sounded like a rhetorical ploy to rally voters. However, he now appears to be following through. After taking office, Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Education to be dismantled to the fullest extent allowed by law.

The second-term Trump administration has already laid out a plan to transfer major functions: student loan programs to the Department of Treasury, workforce policy to the Department of Labor, disability services to the Department of Health and Human Services, and civil rights enforcement to the Department of Justice. Education support for military families would be allocated to the Department of Defense, and Native American education would fall under the jurisdiction of the Interior Department. Regardless of one’s stance on the issue, the move shows Trump’s deep involvement in education policy.

President Trump has argued that authority over education should rest with local communities and parents rather than the federal government. He called the department inefficient, overly bureaucratic, and ultimately unnecessary. His administration’s aggressive downsizing of the department reflects that stance. Since March, about 1,400 of the department’s roughly 4,100 employees have been furloughed or laid off. Although fully abolishing the department would require Congressional approval, Trump appears determined to make it functionally obsolete.

The U.S. Department of Education plays a significant role in supporting students with disabilities, minorities, and those from low-income backgrounds. This is why efforts to eliminate the department have faced strong resistance. Still, President Trump continues to push forward, emphasizing efficiency and local control.

What about South Korea? Unlike the U.S., South Korea’s Ministry of Education handles much of the country’s higher education policy. Still, a quick look at its website’s organizational chart reveals just how bloated the bureaucracy has become, with many subdivided departments and functions.

While the number of K-12 students in Korea is plummeting, the administrative structure remains locked in the baby boomer era. The country has 17 regional education offices, 176 district offices, and 246 affiliated institutions, all under the ministry’s umbrella. As if that were not enough, the government added another layer by creating the National Education Commission, ostensibly to oversee long-term national education planning. It is, quite literally, the top-ranking agency in terms of sheer number of positions.

Yet the ministry has little to show in terms of meaningful solutions to the problems facing students, parents, and teachers. Amid this context, President Lee Jae-myung nominated Lee Jin-sook, a former nominee criticized for plagiarism allegations and her limited understanding of K-12 education, as Education Minister. The pick was widely seen as proof that the administration lacks genuine interest in education reform.

The education minister also serves as deputy prime minister for social affairs. This dual role demands not only administrative expertise but also empathy for ordinary citizens. However, Lee Jin-sook sent both her children to expensive private schools in the U.S. Studying abroad is a personal choice, but the way she handled the situation and how she explained it to the public seemed entirely out of step with public sentiment.

The next nominee must possess both competence and humility. In a country where expectations for education have already crumbled, appointing yet another misfit to lead the ministry will only amplify calls to abolish it entirely.