The 1st Women Labor Forum: what will we do regarding local and educational autonomy?
The Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) and the KWWA organized the 1st Women’s Labor Forum in the basement education room at 2:00 pm on April 16 in order to discuss our responses to local and educational autonomy in relation with the June nationwide local election.
The forum had two topics: ‘the understanding of local autonomy and regional policy’ by Mr. Ha Seungsu, a steering committee member of “Ieum” (a grassroots autonomy institute) and ‘the project making an education city where children are happy’ by Mr. An Seungmun, an executive committee co-chairperson of the Education Network for Hope. It discussed ‘a role of women workers in the era of local and educational autonomy.’
The local self-government system in Korea has been put into operation since 1991. It has aimed at seeking a way to solve local problems at the regional level with the participation of local citizens and at improving the quality of life for local residents. As the system has been enforced, it has supposed the different roles of the central and local governments. The central government would play a role of preparing a related legal system and providing a budget to local governments. On the other hand, the local government would carry out actual service.
However, the prevailing view seems that the local self-government system for the past 20 years has not performed its function properly according to its purpose and role.
If the local government is focusing on welfare, environment, education, local economy, and women policy closely related to life of local people at the local level, it is in accord with the aim of local autonomy. However, the reality is that many local governments conduct policies which are out of touch with ordinary people’s lives.
What can we do to achieve the fundamental purpose of local autonomy?
The present local government should be fundamentally changed with residents’ participation in the policy making process of the local self government and the compilation of its budget. It can be realized through (1) the change of local politics to abolish the system in which candidates for local elections are nominated by political parties jumping on regionalism, (2) local administration innovation, and (3) the vitalization of local residents’ participation.
Residents’ participation is needed not only for the democratization of the local society but also for improving the real life of local people. It is right for residents to participate in the process of the policy making which is closely related with their real life. Policies irrelevant to the interests of local people will eventually waste the budget and cause the reduction of the budget for welfare of residents. Mr. Ha concluded his presentation by emphasizing the necessity to change the ways of civic movements or voters’ campaign from the passive monitoring and the policy suggestions to more active political participation.
The presentation and discussion of ‘local autonomy’ was followed by that of ‘educational autonomy’ which began with strong criticism over education policy in Korea.
South Korea is the only nation in the world making children sleepless with the educational pressure. Private education expenses for children are over 30 trillion won according to the statistics. However it presumes that private education expenses which do not show up in statistics are a huge amount of money. South Korea ranks first in number of foreign students studying in the United States as a percentage of population. Several trillion won was spent to build English Villages, but they are not fulfilling their rightful function. In the case of Seoul, it is working hard to develop mere displays such as putting all sorts of sculptures and holding events in Gwanghwamun Square and spending several billion won for setting boats afloat on the Hangang (Han River) instead of developing its administration capacity. It does not invest sufficiently in education. The above situation is a result of the absence of educational philosophy. The high cost of education is one of the biggest deterrents to families having children, but the government pretends not to know it. The government is only worried about the decrease of the number of class without realistic measures to count the low fertility.
Policies of free school lunch, free education, free healthcare, etc. for students were carried out early in Europe. However, just free school lunch is at issue in Korea. Therefore, the coming June election for superintendents of education is very important for making the society where children live and study happily under proper education policies.
Mr. An emphasized that in this election the pan-democratic and progressive bloc would have consent and consensus about what philosophy and principles should be applied to school education and what kinds of political and administrative support should be given to it for the hopeful future of individuals, the society, and the nation. When parents know precisely the contents of the investment and demands for education and participate in the decision making, it is possible to bring a change in education policy. After all, voters should not separate politics from life and their active participation is essential in the June local election. If the pan-democratic and progressive bloc suggests right election pledges to make people understand the stream of policies, people are able to ask proper policies.
Mr. An had met progressive candidates for superintendants of education and members of the education committee before the forum and suggested them right election pledges and policies with topics of ‘what can they do?’ and ‘it is possible if candidates work together.’
His suggested election pledges are free school lunch with environment-friendly products, free healthcare for elementary, middle, and high school students (Its estimated budget is less than one thousandth of the budget for free school lunch), support for exposure programs and free supply of educational materials, special projects for developing students’ abilities required in the 21st century, strengthening the capacity of teachers, the abolition of the testing system such as uniform tests in elementary, middle, and high school, companies, and the government, and so on. Those pledges would be adopted as election pledges of pan-people’s candidates for superintendants of education on May 7.
Lastly there was a request to him in the question and answer session that a political alternative about working conditions and employment insecurity of trade union members of school accountants belonging to the KWTU would be included in election pledges. Mr. An concluded the forum by saying that he would develop a policy on irregular school workers and examine ways to include it in election pledges.