Civil servants increase despite student decline

Despite the decline in the number of students from elementary to high school, there has been a notable increase in the number of civil servants employed by the Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education. According to data from the Ministry of Education, the public servant counts in 17 Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education nationwide has risen by 6,516, representing a significant 9.7 percent increase over the past five years. Consequently, this has resulted in an additional labor cost of 1.1 trillion won. Remarkably, despite the decreasing school-age population, the size of the offices of education continues to expand.

It is difficult to comprehend why the number of public servants has soared while the school-age population decreased by 580,000 during the same period, resulting in the closure of 240 schools. What is particularly striking is that it is not the number of administrative personnel needed on education sites that has increased significantly, but rather the number of educational supervisors, such as school inspectors. Some municipal offices of education have even expanded their institutions by dividing existing areas into smaller ones. This attempt strongly invites accusations that they are trying to increase the number of educational supervisor positions solely for their benefit.

The increasing Local Education Subsidies serve as one of the reasons for the inefficient management of the organization. Currently, 20.79 percent of internal tax revenues are automatically allocated to these subsidies, which amounted to 76 trillion won as of last year. The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea discovered that 42.6 trillion won of subsidies were excessively allocated over the past three years. It highlighted that while the Ministry of Education allocated higher funds for labor costs and school facility expenditures, it intentionally reduced revenues for education offices. If this method of allocating education subsidies continues, it is projected that by 2060, the amount will exceed 176 trillion won, equivalent to 60 million won per student.

Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education argue that their workload has increased due to addressing school violence and implementing the High school credit system. However, we cannot help but question whether they are merely expanding the number of public servants without trying to enhance the organization's efficiency. They have already engaged in pork-barrel spendings, such as distributing tablet PCs, allocating funds for painting buildings, providing snacks, and giving out entrance reserve funds. The extent of potential budgetary waste they may incur remains uncertain, given their accumulation of 22 trillion won in subsidies that they have been unable to utilize.

The fiscal health of the government is deteriorating as gaps in tax revenues emerge amidst an economic downturn. On the one hand, areas in need of funding are lacking necessary resources, while on the other hand, taxpayer money is being wasted. Such imbalances should not be overlooked. The declining school-age population results from low fertility rates, yet Korea's support for practical family planning remains below 70 percent of the OECD average. The idle funds held by education offices could help alleviate these challenges. A significant step forward would involve overhauling our system, where education subsidies are automatically allocated regardless of demand.