Private English Education Cost Rises 12 Percent

Private English language education costs increased nearly 12 percent last year, leading the overall growth of private tutoring expenditure and calling into question the effectiveness of the Lee Myung-bak administration's education policy emphasizing competition and English education.

The nation's total private education costs for primary and secondary schools grew 4.3 percent from a year earlier to 20.9 trillion won ($13.7 billion) in 2008, according to a joint annual survey by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the National Statistical Office (NSO), released Friday.

This means parents spent about 233,000 won on each child per month for private education ― up 5 percent ― including a monthly average of 76,000 won per child for private English education, up 11.8 percent. The increase in private education spending came despite shrinking household income amid the deepening economic downturn. Average household income dropped 2.1 percent to 3.02 million won in the four months to December.

It is the second annual survey of some 34,000 parents at 273 elementary and secondary schools.

"Private English education costs led the overall growth. The increase reflects growing demand for English education in line with the globalization trend," said Yang Sung-kwang, director general of the ministry, during a press conference.

He also cited the government's policy to strengthen English education and the fall in the number of students going overseas to study.

According to the ministry, the number of students going overseas dropped 12 percent to 1.29 million in 2008, reflecting rises in costs due to the weaker won against the dollar.

The data also showed that expenses in private education are poles apart between affluent and poor households. By region, Seoul topped the average education cost per student with a monthly 296,000 won, which is 2.4 times more than in rural areas. Children of families earning more than seven million won a month spent 8.8 times more for private education than those of families earning less than one million.

According to the survey, most parents said that they pay for private education as companies value universities' reputation in recruitment, adding that companies should hire employees based on their abilities rather than university name value to reduce the costs.

The ministry will designate 300 ``schools free from private education'' and support each with financial aid to the tune of 200 million won, and it plans to continue strengthening English education at public schools to reduce increasing private education costs.

The government, universities and teachers' groups announced a declaration Friday that they would cooperate to normalize public education. The education ministry, the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) and a group of top educators supervising elementary and secondary schools in 16 cities and provinces will lead the campaign.

This the first time that core educators' groups have made such a joint declaration. Education Minister Ahn Byong-man, KCUE President Sohn Byung-doo, KFTA President Lee Won-hee and Kong Jeong-taek, chairman of the top educators, signed the agreement calling for them to cooperate for better public education and lower private education costs.