Editorials
Education grant reform can no longer be delayed (KOR)
A government forum highlighted mounting concerns that Korea’s automatic education grant system is driving wasteful spending despite a shrinking student population.
Education groups strongly oppose proposals to reduce local education grants. At a meeting of newly elected education superintendents in Sejong on June 15, participants including Seoul Superintendent Chung Keun-sik, fifth from left, hold up a banner that reads, “Reducing education funding means giving up on future generations.”
SEOUL METROPOLITAN OFFICE OF EDUCATION/NEWS1
The Ministry of Planning and Budget and the Ministry of Education held a public forum Wednesday on reforming Korea's Local Education Grant system. The discussion addressed growing concerns over excessive spending and inefficiency as education grants continue to rise automatically with tax revenue despite a declining school-age population.
Although calls for reform have persisted for years, meaningful changes have repeatedly stalled because of opposition from education groups and local education offices. The divisions were evident again at the forum. The Budget Ministry argued for more efficient use of public funds while the Education Ministry warned that altering the current system could weaken the financial safety net supporting schools.
Education grants are the primary source of funding for elementary and secondary education. Under the Local Education Grant Act, introduced in 1972, 20.79 percent of domestic tax revenue is automatically allocated to provincial and metropolitan education offices. The system was designed to guarantee stable education funding when government finances were tight.
Today, however, the circumstances have changed. Student enrollment continues to decline while tax revenue has grown, leaving the rigid funding formula increasingly disconnected from actual demand. Excess funds have been spent on cash subsidies, employee welfare programs and the accumulation of large reserve funds, fueling criticism of wasteful spending. Over the past decade, the number of students has fallen by 16.3 percent, yet the number of teachers and education employees has increased by 12.9 percent.
Many local education offices have also expanded direct cash assistance, making the grants appear more like discretionary funds controlled by elected superintendents. Offices across the country provide admission subsidies, field-trip allowances and tablet computers while introducing a variety of other benefits that often resemble campaign promises more than educational necessities.
This year's education grants are expected to total 76 trillion won ($49.7 billion), roughly double the level of a decade ago. In addition, the semiconductor boom is projected to generate about 100 trillion won in additional tax revenue, automatically increasing education grants by another 21 trillion won.
The problem is no longer a shortage of funding but how to spend an overflowing budget responsibly. Allowing the current system to continue unchanged will only increase the risk of wasting taxpayer money.
A better balance is possible. Korea can preserve stable funding for schools while making education spending more efficient and more responsive to demographic realities.
The education community should also move beyond defending its institutional interests. It should participate constructively in designing a funding system that better reflects Korea's changing population and fiscal environment while maintaining strong support for students and schools.
교육감 쌈짓돈 된 교육교부금 개편, 더 이상 미룰 수 없다
기획예산처와 교육부가 어제 지방교육재정교부금 개편을 놓고 공개 토론회를 열었다. 학령인구 감소에도 불구하고 세수 증가로 교육교부금이 자동적으로 늘어나며 빚어지는 과잉 예산과 비효율의 개선책을 모색하기 위해서다. 그동안 제도 개편의 필요성에 대한 지적은 이어졌지만, 교육 현장과 교육 단체의 반발로 정작 개편에는 손도 대지 못했다. 이날 토론회에서도 재정의 효율적 사용을 주장하는 예산처와 제도 개편에 따른 교육안전망 훼손을 우려하는 교육부가 첨예하게 맞섰다.
교육교부금은 초·중등 교육의 핵심 재원이다. 1972년 도입된 ‘지방교육재정교부금법’에 따라 그해에 걷힌 내국세에서 20.79%를 의무적으로 떼어내 시·도 교육청에 우선 배정한다. 세수가 늘 부족했던 과거에 어려운 나라 살림에도 교육 예산만은 안전하게 확보하기 위한 조치였다. 하지만 학생 수가 줄어드는 상황에서 내국세 연동이라는 경직적인 구조는 비효율을 낳았다. 넘치는 교육교부금이 현금성 지원과 교직원 복지, 대규모 기금 적립 등에 쓰이며 방만 운용 논란을 빚고 있다. 최근 10년간 학생 수는 16.3% 줄었지만 교원·공무직 수는 12.9% 늘어난 것이 대표적이다.
특히 시·도 교육청에서 현금성 지원이 만연하는 등 교육교부금이 교육감의 쌈짓돈처럼 사용되기 일쑤다. 교육청마다 입학지원금이나 현장체험학습비 등 각종 지원금 명목으로 현금을 지급하거나 학생들에게 태블릿PC 등을 제공하는 등 선심성 정책을 남발하고 있다. 교육감 선거에서 각종 현금 살포 공약이 난무하는 것도 교육교부금이라는 든든한 돈줄을 염두에 둔 것이다.
올해 교육교부금은 76조원에 이른다. 10년 새 2배로 늘었다. 게다가 반도체 호황에 따른 100조원의 초과 세수가 예상되며 21조원가량이 추가 배정될 예정이다. 지금도 넘쳐나는 거액의 교부금을 어찌할 줄 몰라 흥청망청 써대는 상황이다. 세금 낭비로 이어지는 교육교부금을 더 이상 이대로 놔둬선 안 된다. 나랏돈을 효율적으로 쓰면서도 교육 재정의 안정성을 유지하는 길이 얼마든지 있을 것이다. 교육계도 자신들의 이익만을 앞세우지 말고 건설적인 방향으로 제도를 개선할 수 있도록 적극 협조해야 한다.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
