A parent, identified as A, who sent a child to a Seoul-based "unaccredited international school," has grown increasingly worried recently. The Ministry of Education said it would tighten regulations on international schools operating without accreditation.
The high school attended by A's child is an educational facility that has not been accredited by the Ministry of Education. Even after graduation, to have the diploma recognized as a domestic high school credential, the student must separately take the qualification exam. Instead, the school is certified by a U.S. educational evaluation body, allowing applications to U.S. universities without the qualification exam.
A said, "We chose this school because the child is preparing for U.S. universities, but there is even talk of closure, so we feel at a loss about what to do," adding, "Accredited international schools lack seats, and commuting is not easy, so there is realistically no alternative."
As the Ministry of Education moves to strengthen oversight and supervision of so-called unaccredited international schools, parents and the industry are pushing back. Demand for English education and for admission to overseas universities is rising, but critics say authorities are moving ahead with regulation first when there are not enough accredited international schools to absorb that demand.
◇ An estimated 200 unaccredited international schools
According to the education community on the 12th, there are an estimated 200 unaccredited international schools nationwide. Most operate with a focus on English education and on admission to overseas universities.
Unlike foreign schools for children of foreigners and for Korean nationals who returned after living abroad for a certain period, and unlike international middle and high schools that follow the domestic curriculum, these facilities operate in effect as schools without accreditation from the Ministry of Education.
On the 29th, the Ministry of Education announced "measures to strengthen the management of unaccredited and unregistered educational facilities." After fully notifying facilities operating in a school-like form without accreditation of legal violations, the ministry said it would file complaints for violations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or request investigations if they fail to make corrections. Under current law, operating a school-form facility without accreditation can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.
The Ministry of Education and metropolitan and provincial offices of education also conducted on-site inspections through March this year. They reportedly focused on whether facilities were ▲ charging exorbitant tuition ▲ hiring teachers without required qualifications ▲ providing education outside social norms ▲ causing damage due to sudden closures.
Based on the results of on-site inspections, the Ministry of Education plans to prepare an enforcement decree that would allow even closures of unaccredited educational facilities. Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education ordered the closure of an international school in Yongsan District, Seoul, that recruited ineligible applicants and transferred operating rights without accreditation.
◇ Only two accredited international schools in the Seoul metropolitan area… cannot meet demand
The problem is that accredited international schools can hardly meet demand. There are only seven accredited international schools nationwide, and only two are in the Seoul metropolitan area. Competition ratios are already above 100 to 1.
Choi, 43, who lives in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and sends a 9-year-old child to an unaccredited school, said, "I agree with managing some problematic unaccredited schools that hire unqualified teachers or shut down without prior notice," but added, "Closing down even those that have been accredited by reputable overseas institutions across the board is an excessive step."
The Ministry of Education plans to induce unaccredited educational facilities that meet requirements to register as alternative education institutions. But some note that conversion is not easy in practice. That is because, under the current Alternative Education Institutions Act, facilities whose primary purpose is foreign language education or study-abroad preparation are excluded from registration.
◇ Calls to first revise systems, including a "petition to amend the Alternative Education Institutions Act"
Some argue that system improvements should come first. On the 4th, a petition titled "Oppose regulation of unaccredited educational facilities and urge amendment of the Alternative Education Institutions Act" was posted on the National Assembly e-petition site. The petition calls for overhauling the system so that a variety of educational facilities, including international schools, can operate legally. As of 11 a.m. that day, about 3,300 people had agreed.
Some also say the regulations could instead spur demand for early study abroad. A language academy official said, "Lately, seeing the government's stance, many parents either homeschool their children or plan to send them to overseas boarding schools," adding, "It's questionable whether regulation can bring these students back to public education."