On the 14th, the Ministry of Education noted that the support for free high school education would remain unchanged concerning the exercise of the veto right regarding the revision of the grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) law, which states that the government covers about half of the expense.
This is because the school fee is regulated under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as 'not to be collected from students and guardians,' regardless of the amendment to the relevant law.
That morning, the government held a Cabinet meeting and exercised the veto regarding the revision bill of the grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) law.
Free high school education, implemented since 2019, is a system that supports all admission fees, tuition, school operation support expenses, and textbook costs. Of the budget, 47.5% is covered by the government, while the remaining 52.5% is borne by the educational office (47.5%) and local governments (5%). The total budget allocated for free high school education this year is 1.99 trillion won. The amount the government is responsible for is 946.2 billion won.
Initially, the government stated that it would operate the budget burden structure temporarily only until last year to ensure the system's stabilization. However, this revision includes provisions to extend the government's burden for three more years.
Therefore, the Ministry of Education holds the position that from this year, when the preferential treatment provisions expire, the educational office must bear the budget for free high school education.
It is appropriate for the operation of high schools to occur within the educational finance system through grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) and other means of local educational finance, as it pertains to the educational and cultural matters of local governments.
The Ministry of Education issued a statement that, considering the recent upward trend in educational finance, free high school education can still be conducted within the educational finance system, even if the additional grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) is terminated. According to the Ministry of Education, the amount directed to local educational finance through grants-in-aid (earmarked tax) to the educational offices this year is 72.3 trillion won, which is an increase of 3.4 trillion won (4.9%) from last year.
In contrast, the opposition party that led this revision and each educational office maintain that national support for free high school education should be maintained due to the budget demands required for the integration of reserve programs and the expansion of schools.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained in a statement, "The government's expense sharing for free high school education symbolizes that the state is responsible for high school education," adding, "If the expense is entirely shifted to educational finance, it amounts to government neglect of its educational responsibilities."