South Korean education officials oppose local finance grant reform

The Korea Association of Superintendents of Education is formally opposing the South Korean government's proposal to reform the local education finance grant system. During a general assembly in Yeosu, education officials expressed concerns that the government's plan to shift from a tax-linked formula to one based on GDP and school population decline will lead to a significant reduction in actual funding.

While the government claims the reform will increase grants by 7.2 trillion won, the Association argues that after accounting for various revenue decreases and sunsetting provisions, the actual net increase is only approximately 225.9 billion won, or 0.3%. Officials emphasized that despite a declining student population, essential expenditures for digital education, special education, multicultural support, and teacher labor costs are rising.

The Association has called on the National Assembly to conduct a thorough analysis of the fiscal impact on the 16 metropolitan and provincial offices of education. They are also requesting that the reform not be treated as a supplementary budget-related bill to ensure sufficient time for legislative review and social consensus.