Seoul education chief urges inclusion of AI costs in education funding reform

Jeong Keun-sik, the newly elected Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, has formally requested the Minister of Economy and Finance to ensure that rising educational expenses, particularly those related to artificial intelligence and other emerging needs, are adequately considered in the planned revision of the local education funding system. The current system allocates a fixed percentage of national taxes to education.

Jeong conveyed his concerns during a meeting with the minister, emphasizing that while the government is reviewing the current allocation method, which distributes 20.79% of national taxes to education, the revision process must incorporate the voices of educators and account for increased budget demands. He argued that focusing solely on declining student numbers as a basis for budget reduction is problematic, as it overlooks other significant cost factors.

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The decline in student numbers is just one of many factors in budget allocation.

Across the country, education superintendents share similar concerns. They are wary of any move to reduce the overall education budget based primarily on demographic shifts. The superintendents collectively plan to voice their opposition, asserting that factors such as the maintenance of aging school facilities, the need to maintain optimal class sizes, and the introduction of new educational initiatives like the high school credit system, special education, and integrated early childhood education require stable, and potentially increased, financial resources.

Officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, however, maintain that the declining school-age population necessitates a review of the current funding mechanism. They have proposed alternative models, such as linking the education budget to economic growth and inflation rates rather than directly to national tax revenue. This divergence in perspective highlights a potential conflict between the Ministry of Education's focus on expanding educational services and the Ministry of Economy and Finance's emphasis on fiscal efficiency in light of demographic changes.

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If the Ministry of Economy and Finance views education solely through an economic lens, superintendents must actively express their opinions and take action.