Private Schools in Korea

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Private Schools in Korea
Government and Non-Government Participation in
Education A Regional Symposium, World Bank Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia July 13 15, 2004
Bong Gun Chung Ministry of EducationHRD
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My Story goes with

• I. Some Statistical Features
• Size, Finance, Quality, Outcomes

• II. Why and How Did These Features Happen
• Strong Demand, Weak Fund, State Control

• III. What Are The Challenges and Problems Now?
• Choice, Quality, International Competitiveness

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Size of the Private Schools in Korea
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Rapid Expansion
Secondary education had reached the upper limit
in early 90s.
Academic high school students began to advance
since early 80s.
Vocational high school students began to advance
since 90s.
In tertiary education private schools absorb much
of the increasing demand in local areas.
Tertiary 1 academic high to tertiary Tertiary
2 vocational high to tertiary
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Percentage of Private schools by Numbers
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Comparison of the Percentage
Students Enrolled in Public and Private Schools
Education at a Glance 2003, OECD, p. 269-270
Priv govt dependent and independent
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The 3rd Way to Augment the Schools
No. of Private Learning Institutes (Dec. 2003)
Various kinds of private learning institutes
absorb a large share of the demand for
extra-school learning.
Particularly, arts and music education in primary
level rely on private learning institutes.

In upper secondary level the number of cram
schools for test scores increases rapidly.
Statistics produced by the related authority in
MOEHRD
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Some Financial Aspects of Private Schools
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Large Share of Private Expenditure
(in million Korean Won)
Sang Keun Choi, et al., A Study of Private
Education and Expenditure, KEDI, 2003, p. 23

• The private expenditure has been doubled in 10
  years, despite reform efforts.
• Primary level exceeds upper secondary level, due
  to arts and sports learning.

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Percentage of Private Expenditure
Percentage to GDP, primary secondary (EAG2003,
p.208)
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Student performance and spending per student
Student performance (average over reading,
mathematical and scientific literacy)
Cumulative expenditure per student from Grade 1
until age 15 PPP US
Source PISA 2000, OECD
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Financial Structure of Private Coll Universities

Statistical Yearbook of Education, 2003, KEDI

• Government subsidy to private tertiary level is
  almost minimal level.

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Some Conspicuous Outcomes
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Private Schools and Leveling Policy
The Leveling Policy Since 1974 the Leveling
Policy has been restricting the school choice,
regardless of public or private, in urban areas
where entrance competition was overheated. Middle
school graduates are randomly allocated to
whichever the neighboring schools, so that
private schools are free of recruitment effort.
Their tuition is mandated to the same level of
public schools. In return, the government
subsidizes the fiscal deficit.
Revenue of Private Schools in 2000 (unit
million Korean won)
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Variation in student performance
Variation of performance within schools
Variation of performance between schools
Variation explained by institutional structures
Source PISA 2000, OECD
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Difference between Pubic and Private Schools
Difference in performance on the combined reading
literacy scale
Knowledge and Skills for Life First Results
from PISA 2000, OECD, 2001.

• The leveling policy of no school choice seems to
  create the smallest disparity.

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Achievement Gap
Secondary Education
Rank by Average Score in PISA 2000
Tertiary Education
Competitiveness of university perceived by
business leaders (rank)
World Competitiveness Yearbook, each year, IMD
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Learning for Test Scores?
Index of learning from PISA 2000
(mean index)
Knowledge and Skills for Life, OECD, 2003, p.
265, 266, 272

• The lowest level of interest and co-operative
  learning is strikingly contrast to the highest
  achievement level.

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Difference between Pubic and Private Universities
Research Outcome, per full time faculty
The Year 2002 Index of Development, Korean
Council of University Education, 2003

• Professors in private universities publish less,
  in contrast to national ones.

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Why and How Do these Features Happen?

• Contingency
• History, Culture, Ideology
• Structure
• Power, Money Incentives
• Agency
• Government, Owners Locals

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Analysis of the Expansion
History
Incentives
Money
Government
Large Private Education
Owners
Locals
Culture
Ideology
Power
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What are the Challenges and Problems Now?
Intl Competitiveness
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Educational Quality
Excellence
Equity
School Choice
School Governance
Competition
Leveling
Management
Teacher Union
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Which Way to Go?
Thank you!