Ulsan Office of Education Strongly Opposes Grant Reform Projected to Cut 400 Billion Won

[Anchor]

The government has decided to change the method of automatically allocating a portion of internal taxes to metropolitan and provincial offices of education. While the plan aims to adjust grants to match the era of a declining school-age population, the Ulsan Office of Education estimates that its budget will be reduced by around 400 billion won.

UBC Reporter Yoon Joo-woong reports.

[Reporter]

The government has announced plans to push for a reorganization of local education finance grants.

Previously, 20.79 percent of internal taxes were automatically allocated to each regional education office as local education finance grants, but a new method reflecting the declining school-age population is now set to be introduced.

[Choi Kyo-jin / Minister of Education: Going forward, grants will be calculated by reflecting the 3-year average ordinary growth rate and the change rate of the school-age population based on the previous year's grants.]

The Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education estimates that if the calculation method changes, next year's grants will be reduced by up to approximately 415.3 billion won.

This comes as a direct blow, especially since the Unified Fiscal Stabilization Fund, which acts as an emergency reserve, has shrunk to a quarter of its level in just two years.

In particular, superintendents are strongly opposing the move, pointing out that the government announced the reform due to loose management without even listening to their opinions.

[Cho Yong-sik / Superintendent of Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education: I cannot agree with the claim that providing welfare by having the state and the education office cover costs that parents would otherwise have to bear constitutes loose management.]

The city council also made its opposition clear.

[Lee Young-hae / Chairperson of Ulsan City Council: Our council also demanded the withdrawal of this unfair reorganization, which could shake the entire public education system, and we cannot help but express regret that the government is pushing forward despite the education community speaking out in unanimous opposition.]

Even though the number of students has decreased, the number of schools and classes has increased, and demands for educational welfare such as after-school care and multicultural support are growing every year.

Concerns are rising that the damage caused by the government's grant reform, pursued without a social consensus, will inevitably be passed on to students and parents.

(Camera Reporter: Lee Jong-ho, UBC; Design: Song Jeong-geun, UBC)

Yoon Joo-woong, UBC

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