[Editorial] Stop The Irrational Anger About Private School Law

The Korea Foundation for the Promotion of Private Schools and the Grand National Party (GNP) are going overboard in their reaction to the passage of the revision to the Private School Law at the National Assembly. The private school foundation is discussing whether to close down their schools or not accept any new students next year, and are threatening do disobey the new law until its constitutionality has been determined. It leaves you completely dumbfounded to hear them talk about a "struggle" in which they are "prepared for martyrdom."

The foundation needs to regain its composure as soon as possible. Overstating the situation or maliciously trying to confusing the public with talk about how the administration of the country's private schools is going to be handed to over to the Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union (Jeon Gyo Jo) just does not work anymore. Holding students futures hostage while making your demands is especially intolerable.

The argument that the new law infringes on the right to own private property is also not convincing. Laws on education stipulate that schools serve the common good, and the constitution has a clause restricting rights to private property when for the public's benefit. Furthermore, when even corporations that exist for the pursuit of profit have board members from outside the company and disclose their accounting records, refusing to have a bare minimum of social oversight is a typical example of the kind of self-righteous egoism that seeks to resist any form of outside scrutiny. It is hard to understand how greater transparency in school administration is an obstacle to pursuing a school's founding principles and diversity. Healthy private schools have no reason to fear or be uncomfortable with the revised Private School Law.

The main opposition GNP says it is going to boycott the National Assembly and take to the streets. It has created a special entity for that purpose, titled "The Emergency Headquarters for Invalidating the Private School Law Revision and Defending Our Children," making it clear it intends to turn this, too, in to a controversy over ideology. Turning to the old ways of red-baiting is a far cry from the responsible opposition party the country would like to have. Chairwoman Park Geun Hye and the rest of the party's leadership need to remember that even from within the party, there are those who are expressing opposition to the idea of a strategizing ideological offensive.

The Hankyoreh, 13 December 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]