Lee Ju-ho "Tuition Regulation and 40% CSAT Screening Maintained Until Next Year"

Reconfirmed at 100-Day Inauguration Press Conference
"A Must-Achieve Task" Regarding Yubo Integration

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, drew a clear line by stating, "There are no plans to revisit the discussion on university tuition fees until next year."

At a press conference held on the 14th to mark his 100th day in office, Minister Lee expressed his intention to maintain the current policy of supporting university finances through government financial support projects instead of raising tuition fees for the time being.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"RISE, Glocal Universities... Will Solve University Financial Difficulties"

Minister Lee explained, "I think it is not too late to reevaluate and discuss the tuition freeze policy again after going through the RISE (Regional Innovation-Centered University Support System) and Glocal University policies," adding, "Through RISE and Glocal, universities can secure various funding sources, and since more national funds will be invested, it will be possible to resolve the financial difficulties of each university."

RISE is a policy that transfers the budget execution authority for government university financial support projects to local governments starting in 2025, with a pilot project beginning this year in about five non-metropolitan areas. Glocal Universities is a Ministry of Education policy that sequentially selects about 30 universities with world-class specialized fields starting this year and supports each university with 100 billion KRW over five years.

Minister Lee added, "We have also created a special account for higher and lifelong education support to put out urgent fires without necessarily raising tuition fees, and removed spending barriers so that each university can use funds for their most pressing needs, so we are not considering tuition increases for now."

"40% CSAT-Based Admissions Fixed... No Further Discussion"

Minister Lee emphasized that the university entrance system, including the regulation requiring major universities in Seoul to have at least 40% of admissions through regular admissions (CSAT-based), will be maintained for the time being.

He said, "I decided not to discuss tuition and admissions issues for the first one to two years after taking office, and that is the Ministry of Education's policy," adding, "The selection of 40% or more through the CSAT-based admissions is already decided, so there is no room for further discussion."

He continued, "Long-term admissions are the responsibility of the National Education Commission," and added, "We will work with the National Education Commission to incorporate this well into the 10-year (mid- to long-term national education development) plan."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Preschool Integration Will Definitely Be Achieved"

Regarding the preschool integration, which aims to unify the management system of kindergartens and daycare centers under the Ministry of Education and local education offices and launch a new integrated institution from 2025, Minister Lee stated that it will definitely be achieved. He also cited preschool integration as his biggest goal during his tenure.

He said, "The biggest obstacle was inter-ministerial consultation, but now I think a solid foundation has been established, and parents seem to be pleased," adding, "In my view, it will definitely be achieved."

Although some parents demand strengthening learning elements such as Hangul in the Nuri Curriculum, he expressed a negative view, saying, "There is scientific evidence that it is much more desirable for children at that stage to focus on play rather than learning," and "It is irresponsible as a nation to accept all opinions just because they are the majority of parents, and the state must make expert judgments."

"Education Graduate Schools Need More Communication... Will Find Solutions to 'Medical School Preference Phenomenon'"

Regarding the recent 'medical school preference phenomenon' among top high school students, he said, "We must of course respect the wishes of parents and students, but a strategy for national development is necessary, and fostering advanced talents is also an essential policy tool," adding, "We will analyze the phenomenon carefully and look for solutions."

Additionally, Minister Lee argued that parental change is necessary to break down university hierarchies. He said, "Many companies say that the correlation between which university one graduated from and the competencies shown at work is insignificantly low," adding, "The field has changed, but parents are accustomed to past practices, so it seems important for the government to actively inform them."

Regarding a survey result showing that over 80% of current and prospective teachers oppose the education graduate schools (Gyoyeonwon) that the Ministry of Education plans to introduce, he emphasized, "We will start communication with a sufficiently horizontal partnership as soon as the draft is released," and added, "I will see this as a whip to encourage more communication."