[Editorial] 'Official English' and Growth are Unrelated

Korea's plentiful and quality workforce was what drove its development, and it was a passion for education on the part of the older generation that elevated the quality of the country's labor to a higher level. Now, as the country tries to achieve a GNP of USD20,000, the power behind that growth is running out because of a rapid decrease in the birth rate, the fact that society is ageing, and problems in education. The disparity in investments made in education and the resulting intensification of differences in income is eating away at the country's potential.

It is in such a situation that the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development has announced a "national development strategy" plan that largely concentrates on human capital and research and development. To create new growth potential it wants to foster the development of key human resources in areas that will power future growth, reorganize the country's system of professional graduate schools, have the academic year start in September, and provide free education starting at the age of five. Little about that is disagreeable, since everything about those plans has already been called for publicly. However, one cannot agree with the idea of making English an official language in special economic zones and "free international cities." That is something that has already incited unnecessary controversy.

Everyone recognizes the need to better English proficiency in these times of internationalization and open markets. One hopes to see quality foreign and English language education opportunities in ordinary schools. However, even if you ignore the issue of cultural identity for a moment, you still wonder what relationship there is between English as an official language and increasing international competitiveness. No one envies the Philippines, India, and Pakistan, and English is an official language in each of those countries. People envy France, and yet it has gone to war against English. If elementary students start devoting themselves to the study of the English language it will hurt the goals of education as a whole. Another problem would be the social disparity that resulting from the private tutoring craze and differences in English language proficiency, as experienced in Hong Kong. Will Korea make Chinese an official language when China's influence grows? As is the case with any foreign language, the purpose of English language education is unrestricted communication with others who speak it. That can be done by improving English proficiency and that can be done within public, formal education. It is something that should be supported, not made compulsory.

The Hankyoreh, 21 October 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]