For the first time, residents of Seoul cast their ballots on Wednesday to elect their education superintendent. This election is important, since the result will determine the range of educational choices available to parents and students. Major educational reforms, such as allowing students to choose the high schools they wish to attend, letting students choose their subjects according to their individual aptitude levels, and permitting the opening of foreign language and science schools for talented children, depend on which candidate is elected. In that sense, the election of the next education superintendent can be more important than choosing a mayor or lawmaker.

The main focus is on whether Jou Kyong-bok, the candidate backed by the leftwing Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, will win. In a joint televised debate on Friday, Jou said he did not know why people were labeling him as the KTEWU-backed candidate. But in an interview with a KTEWU newsletter last month, Jou said the union had chosen him as its candidate.

As a university professor, Jou gave A to all students who took the two classes he taught last semester. When asked why, Jou said it was because they all did well. That is a ridiculous excuse. Jou opposes parents and students choosing which schools to attend, allowing students to select different classes according to their aptitude levels and the opening of foreign language and science schools for gifted students. He is also against the evaluation of teachers and the academic standing of different schools.

All countries around the world are busy reforming their educational systems to nurture talented people who will be able to survive in the competitive world today. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the closure of 12 public schools that received failing marks in evaluations conducted at the end of last year. Bloomberg's educational reforms have lowered crime in New York City schools, while the ratio of public school students passing the math aptitude test rose from 37 percent in 2002 to 65 percent last year. Since taking office in June last year, Washington D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee closed down 23 schools that scored poorly in terms of academic achievement and sent warning letters to 38 principals, 23 vice principals and 750 teachers and teaching assistants.

The Japanese government plans to double the thickness of textbooks used in elementary, junior and senior high schools to overcome a decline in academic levels brought on through an educational program that stressed an easygoing pace. A growing number of schools are shortening their summer vacations.

Voters must not think that their votes do not matter very much. They should take the initiative and cast their ballots after determining which candidate will ensure that Korea does not fall behind in the global war of education.
For the first time, residents of Seoul cast their ballots on Wednesday to elect their education superintendent. This election is important, since the result will determine the range of educational choices available to parents and students. Major educational reforms, such as allowing students to choose the high schools they wish to attend, letting students choose their subjects according to their individual aptitude levels, and permitting the opening of foreign language and science schools for talented children, depend on which candidate is elected. In that sense, the election of the next education superintendent can be more important than choosing a mayor or lawmaker.

The main focus is on whether Jou Kyong-bok, the candidate backed by the leftwing Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, will win. In a joint televised debate on Friday, Jou said he did not know why people were labeling him as the KTEWU-backed candidate. But in an interview with a KTEWU newsletter last month, Jou said the union had chosen him as its candidate.

As a university professor, Jou gave A to all students who took the two classes he taught last semester. When asked why, Jou said it was because they all did well. That is a ridiculous excuse. Jou opposes parents and students choosing which schools to attend, allowing students to select different classes according to their aptitude levels and the opening of foreign language and science schools for gifted students. He is also against the evaluation of teachers and the academic standing of different schools.

All countries around the world are busy reforming their educational systems to nurture talented people who will be able to survive in the competitive world today. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the closure of 12 public schools that received failing marks in evaluations conducted at the end of last year. Bloomberg's educational reforms have lowered crime in New York City schools, while the ratio of public school students passing the math aptitude test rose from 37 percent in 2002 to 65 percent last year. Since taking office in June last year, Washington D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee closed down 23 schools that scored poorly in terms of academic achievement and sent warning letters to 38 principals, 23 vice principals and 750 teachers and teaching assistants.

The Japanese government plans to double the thickness of textbooks used in elementary, junior and senior high schools to overcome a decline in academic levels brought on through an educational program that stressed an easygoing pace. A growing number of schools are shortening their summer vacations.

Voters must not think that their votes do not matter very much. They should take the initiative and cast their ballots after determining which candidate will ensure that Korea does not fall behind in the global war of education.

Source: english.chosun.com