Lee calls for 'advanced education' to prepare for post-crisis growth

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak Tuesday called for enhanced
efforts to reform and improve South Korea's public education, saying human
resources are central to staying competitive after the global economic crisis.
"What is important is what comes after the crisis, and education reform is a
large part of what we must do to be prepared and part of efforts to raise global
talents in this global era. That is what will increase our competitiveness," the
president said in a special meeting with heads of the country's 15 major
universities.
The meeting comes amid reports the government is set to "declare war" on private
education, which has long been blamed for the collapse of public education and
excessive spending by parents.
Kwak Seung-jun, head of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision, said last
week the government plans to ban private institutes from teaching students after
10 p.m.
The president Tuesday noted one of the most urgent issues in education was to
"normalize" the country's college admission system.
"When I say normalization... what I mean is that we must improve the system
because establishing a sound college admission system is the way to normalize
public education," he told the meeting.
The admission system is frequently blamed for causing unnecessary competition
among students as it is largely based on a single exam given once a year.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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