THE KUKMIN DAILY

The Committee for Normalization of Christian Schools (chair: Rev. Lee Cheol-shin) and the Christian School Education Research Center (director: Prof. Park Sang-jin) have announced the holding of an inquiry into the policies of candidates seeking superintendent of education posts around the country in the upcoming June 13 elections. Behind the inquiry is the wish to normalize Christian schools.

With private school autonomy limited under the equalization system, it is hard at present for Christian schools to carry out Christian education according to their founding principles. That is because the equalization system does not guarantee parents’ right to choose schools or schools’ right to select students. As the religious freedom of students, forcibly assigned to schools, clashes with the freedom of religious private schools to conduct religious education, religious conflicts in Christian schools are deepening.

The organizers of the inquiry have prepared 12 policy questions on the present status and future improvement of Christian schools and are presenting these to all candidates for education superintendent posts nationwide. The policy inquiry is scheduled to start May 31 and run through June 12, the day before the elections. Following that, it is planned to analyze the position of each candidate with regard to Christian schools and Christian education, and to release this information to Korean churches and church-related organizations.

Lee Cheol-shin, who chairs the Committee for Normalization of Christian Schools, pointed out that “Christian schools historically served as greenhouses for national development…Despite the various difficulties in Christian schools nowadays, we must not abandon our goal to nurture Christian members of society through sound Christian education.” Park Sang-jin, director of the Christian School Education Research Center, said, “I hope that through the coming election of education superintendents, the Korean churches’ desire to normalize Christian schools will be reflected in the educational reality.”

Reporter A-young Kim (singforyou@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


Original Article in Korean:
기독교학교 정상화 위한 12가지 정책 교육감 후보에게 질의한다: 교계, 오는 12일까지 진행