Korea: Newly Elected Education Chief to Adopt Elitist Policy

[Francis Hult]

Via lgpolicy...

Newly Elected Education Chief to Adopt Elitist Policy


Kong Jeong-taek
By Kang Shin-whoStaff Reporter


Kong Jeong-taek, 74, the current ? appointed ? superintendent of SeoulMetropolitan Office of Education was elected Thursday in the firstcity-wide election for the post that gives him a mandate to controlthe city's education policy until June 2010. Only 15.4 percent out ofsome 8.08 million eligible citizens cast their ballots.


With Kong keeping his post, the current education policy that is oftenaccused of being elitist will be pushed ahead with. Regarded as beingright of center in political ideology, he has been trying to introducemore competition in middle and high schools with priority being placedon having middle school students choose high schools, and introducingentrance exams. The current system is geared toward an egalitarianphilosophy and has middle school seniors advance to neighborhoodschools without exams with the exceptions of special purposeeducational establishments such as foreign-language and internationalschools.


Full story:

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/07/117_28522.html


_______________________________________________
Edling mailing list
Edling at lists.sis.utsa.edu
https://lists.sis.utsa.edu/mailman/listinfo/edling
List Manager: Francis M. Hult