29th March 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Lee Myung-bak, the president of South Korea, has announced that his government will work to reduce the strain put on households by the need to engage in private tuition. In an article on the Korea Times website (www.koreatimes.co.kr) Lee said that they want to ‘normalise’ education, because the soaring education costs (increasing 20% annually) will become impossible for parents.
Many students receive tuition to improve their scores on college admissions tests, and it’s become accepted as necessary to achieve a good score. On average, each family spends 2.1 million won on private tuition in a year.
Lee met with a group of teachers and students recently to hear their views on education, and has stated that educational reform is the number one priority for his administration. He said “The country’s future will be bright only after we complete educational reform now. Educational fundamentals should be improved so that all people, rich or poor, can get quality services”.