Minister Choi Kyo-jin of the Ministry of Education said on the 20th, "It does not seem likely that the current administration will leave the college admissions (system) completely untouched." At a "briefing with reporters" held that day at the Koreana Hotel in Jung District, Seoul, Minister Choi said, "If we can radically transform education, I believe it is our duty to enable the presentation of transition plans and concrete details at a level that can win national consensus," and made the remarks.
However, the Minister did not mention specific details on reforming the college admissions system, saying, "Isn't there a point on the admissions issue that many people fundamentally agree on?"
Regarding the view that grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) for educational finance to local governments should be reduced, the Minister responded by asking, "The number of students is decreasing, so should the budget also be cut?" and said, "I find it fundamentally hard to agree." Currently, 20.79% of national tax is automatically allocated as grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) for educational finance to local governments. The same applies when a supplementary budget is drawn up. As tax revenue increases, the budget grows regardless of the number of students, prompting calls to adjust the system, but the Minister opposed that view.
He said, "If you think about what is needed to improve the education environment itself, it is not easy to drastically reduce (grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) for educational finance to local governments)." He continued, "In a situation where new educational demands are steadily being raised in a new era, lowering the 20.79% ratio or the like does not seem right." The Minister then said, "If it seems tax revenue has increased more than expected, we can consider reasonable (uses) for that revenue together," adding, "It is an issue we should consider to redirect the earmarked tax (which is used only for elementary, middle, and high school education) to early childhood or higher education."
The Minister also said regarding measures to revitalize field trip programs at elementary, middle, and high schools, "Around next week, we will consult with teachers' groups and prepare institutional measures." He said, "When (a teacher) has taken the minimum steps (to prevent accidents), we should at least legally resolve this issue so that (they are not sued)." He added, "There were differences of opinion among relevant ministries (such as the Ministry of Justice while designing the measures)," and said, "We will discuss the concrete plan once more and make an announcement."