Two education civic groups were divided Thursday on the government’s decision to reintroduce a single set of history textbooks for secondary school students.
A conservative education civic group criticized current authors of different history textbooks for middle and high school students as mostly left-leaning and opportunists.
Currently, secondary school history textbooks are published by eight private publishing companies after being approved by an independent textbook review committee of experts. Schools choose from any of the eight textbooks, while primary schools have a single set of state-authored history textbooks.
After months of controversy, the Ministry of Education last week announced that history textbooks nationwide will be authored by the government starting in the 2017 school year.
“The problematic thing about the current system is that most of the authors participating in authoring and monitoring the textbooks are mostly left-leaning,” said Cho Jin-hyung, the chief of the group.
Cho said as for Rhee Syng-man, the first South Korean president, most textbooks described him as a leader who had many flaws rather than feats.
“There were mostly negative contents about the Rhee Syng-man administration,” Cho said, adding that books should have a balanced view of him as the leader in the chaotic period following Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule.
Another non-profit education civic group, World Without Worries About Shadow Education raised concern that the government’s decision to reintroduce a single set of textbooks could raise the cost of private education.
“It is difficult to conclude that a single set of textbooks directly raises the cost of private education,” said Yoon Jee-hee.
“However, there is a high possibility that the burden on private education will be increased in light of the local education culture, which emphasizes private tutoring.”
South Korean parents are known for their enthusiasm about education, with private education spending staying significantly high, though its growth has been slowing in recent years.
Parents spent 18.2 trillion won ($17 billion) in 2014 on private education for their children, according to data released by the non-profit education civic group.
Private education spending reached its peak in 2009 at 21 trillion won. (Yonhap)
