Korea: UDP Advocates More Language Schools

[Harold Schiffman]

UDP Advocates More Language Schools

By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has promised to
improve public education by decreasing the number of students per
teacher to 25. Presenting a set of 100 campaign pledges Monday for the
upcoming National Assembly elections, the liberal party also suggested
reinforcing English education by opening language schools in
elementary, junior and high schools and offering up to 2,300 hours of
English classes per year.  In an apparent effort to check President
Lee Myung-bak's initiative to improve students' English skills, the
UDP proposed adopting a certificate system to rule out low-quality
English teachers.  The party also promised to have various types of
schools setting a U.S.-style charter school as a role model to foster
creative and capable students.

With university tuition increasing faster than inflation, the UDP
insisted that it is necessary to introduce a price ceiling system to
prevent schools from imposing too high tuition fees.  A pay-later
system under which students can study first and pay tuition after they
make money will also help ease their financial burden, it added.  The
party also promised to construct railways linking the Korean Peninsula
to Russia and Europe. It said the project is more environmentally
friendly and economically feasible than the cross-country waterway
project, President Lee's signature pledge.

As a supporter of the ``Sunshine Policy'' of engaging North Korea, the
party noted that the railways would be also help improve relations
between the two Koreas through joint construction.  Regarding
inflation, the party promised to cut oil tax and charges for telephone
and Internet use by 10 percent. The UDP also seeks to check price
increases of 30 major products to ease financial difficulties facing
the public. It promised to create 500,000 jobs per year, while giving
more support to small-and medium-sized companies. Rep. Choi In-kee,
chairman of the UDP's policy committee, said his party will focus on
protecting social minorities, unlike the GNP, whose policies are for
the ``privileged classes and conglomerates only.''  He added the party
will do its utmost to curb inflation.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/03/113_21232.html

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