Gyeonggi Education Office’s Certification Fee Support Project
Students and Parents in Favor… Teachers’ Union Protests
The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has launched a project to support costs for high school seniors to obtain certifications such as driver’s licenses. However, there are mixed reactions to the initiative.
The project, which first expanded beyond vocational high schools this year to include special, alternative, general, autonomous, and specialized high schools, involves a budget of 37.2 billion won. It supports expenses up to 300,000 won per student for obtaining one certification, such as a driver’s license, language proficiency, or Korean history proficiency test.
Students have reacted positively to the news. A preliminary demand survey revealed that 72.4% of 122,333 high school seniors in the region, or 88,575 students, wanted the program. Among them, 82.1% wanted to obtain a driver’s license, followed by language certifications and the Korean history proficiency test.
However, the Teachers’ Union has raised concerns about the inefficiency and burden on teachers. They argue that spending this budget on high school seniors is inefficient, as many of them would not yet be eligible for a driver’s license before their birthday. Furthermore, Gyeonggi province already has a budget supporting driver’s licenses for young adults over 19.
The union is particularly concerned that teachers, who are already busy with college admissions and career guidance, will face additional administrative tasks. They argue that this diverts valuable teacher time and resources away from students.
Meanwhile, the provincial education office contends that the project aids high school seniors in developing skills essential for post-graduation life, and that demand was highest for driver’s licenses, especially after the college entrance exam. They hope to stabilize the project to benefit as many students as possible.