The country's university community is in a state of commotion over the excessive tuition hike by major private schools. Yonsei University has led the way, having decided to raise tuition by 12 percent over last year. Other private universities have announced increases as well, including Hanyang (9.3%), Sogang (8.29%), and Korea (8%). That is between three to four times more than the consumer price increase target of 3 percent.
University administrators say that they have been in the red for years because tuition and money from their operating educational foundations have not been sufficient. Students and parents, however, cannot understand how that is the case. Despite the recession, increases have doubled the consumer price index for the past three years.
Subsequently, in 2004 Yonsei was in the black to the tune of W130.1 billion, including intake from donations. Other schools did well also, including Konkuk (W109.1 bil), Hongik (W83.8 mil), Chung-Ang (W71.5 mil), Ewha (W71.4 mil), and Korea (W59.3 mil), but they still created basis for claiming tuition has to be raised, by spending more and understating their income. That makes it hard for students to not be distrustful of the excessive increases. You might say it is only natural that student associations have begun fighting the tuition hikes.
Wasteful conflict between universities and their students needs to be avoided. That will first require that schools clear away the distrust by making their financial conditions and budgets open and transparent. The process of determining tuition needs to be made more democratic, with the participation of students, professors, and other school employees. Wonkwang University provides a fine example: it increased school competitiveness by giving advance notice about tuition increases, a process that involves the student association, and by doing so getting rid of campus discord.
The Hankyoreh, 26 January 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] Private University Tuition Increases Unreasonable |
