end of free high school education in jeju?a big cut in the government's budget

[Anchor]
Jeju has been providing free high school education for the first time in the country since 2018.

However, the government, which provided about half of the free education expenses, is on the verge of suspension by cutting most of next year's related budget, saying that the special case, which is the basis for the support, will end at the end of this year.

KCTV Jeju Broadcasting Kim Junghoon Lee reports.

[Reporter]
The Jeju area has been providing free high school education for the first time in the country since 2018.

One person receives 1.6 million won worth of benefits per year from admission fees, tuition fees, and textbook purchases.The annual budget for

to free high school education alone is about 22 billion won.

Among them, the Jeju Provincial Office of Education is paying KRW 10 billion, or 47.5%, while the Ministry of Education and Jeju Island are paying the remaining KRW 12 billion.

However, such free high school education is on the verge of being suspended from next year.

This is because the special case, which has been the basis for the government's free high school education expenses, will sunset at the end of this year.

In fact, the Ministry of Education cut the budget related to free high school education by 99% compared to this year in next year's budget submitted to the National Assembly.

If this happens, the metropolitan and provincial offices of education will have to pay for free high school education starting next year.

Superintendent Kim Kwang-soo also instructed related departments to closely watch and respond to the situation in which free high school education support could be suspended at the weekly planning meeting.

Some are calling for a revision of the law that extends the special law or removes the expiration date, but it has not yet crossed the threshold of the National Assembly.

Jeju education authorities say they will continue free high school education even if the government's contribution is cut because the ruling and opposition parties or the party cannot reach an agreement, but this year, local education finances have become poor due to a lack of tax revenue.

The compromise of Jeju education authorities is becoming more important to prevent existing projects or the need to reduce budgets related to elementary and middle school students.

This is a KCTV news Junghoon Lee.


Video recording: Kim Yong-min