Education Sector Demands Complete Scrap of Local Education Subsidy Reform, Threatens Joint Action

The education sector has strongly protested the government's announcement of a plan to reform the local education financial grants, which centers on abolishing the linked structure through which 20.79 percent of total internal tax revenues are automatically allocated.

The Emergency Action for Responding to Local Education Financial Grant Reform, a coalition of 363 education, civic, and social organizations nationwide, held a press conference today (the 21st) and stated, "If the government pushes ahead with the abolition of the grant linkage system, we will launch strong joint actions together with education superintendents, teachers, parents, education workers, and educational civic societies nationwide."

Regarding the internal tax-linked structure of the education grants, the emergency coalition pointed out, "It is a breakwater of educational finance created to ensure that local education can stably take responsibility for education without being swayed by the administration's judgment or political situations," adding, "Demolishing this is a serious issue that undermines the autonomy and stability of education."

Superintendents of education from 17 municipal and provincial offices nationwide also issued a statement urging the complete scrapping of the grant reform proposal.

The National Association of Superintendents of Education emphasized that the internal tax-linked system must be maintained, stating, "Even as the school-age population decreases, new future education demands, such as artificial intelligence and digital education as well as customized education for students, are actually growing."

The three major teachers' organizations—the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, and the Teachers' Union Federation—also jointly held press conferences in front of the Government Complex-Seoul to take issue with the contents of the reform plan.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.