Government data showed yesterday that the gap in private education spending between the wealthy and the poor widened last year, raising fears that the economic slump may hit children of low-income families more severely.

According to data by the Bank of Korea and the National Statistical Office, the top 20 percent households in terms of income spent 6.9 times more on private education than the bottom 20 percent in 2008, up from 5.9 times a year earlier.

The corresponding figure has continuously risen from 5.3 in 2003, except for the year 2006 with 6.6.

The top 20 percent of households spent a monthly average of 321,253 won ($240.8) on private education of their children.

Another survey by the NSO on 34,000 parents of primary, junior-high and high school students showed that the private education expenditure of the high-income bracket earning 7 million won and over a month was 8.8 times more than that of the income group earning less than 1 million won. The households with more than 7 million won in monthly income spent 474,000 won on private education.

By region, monthly expenditure per student in Seoul was 2.4 times larger than that in smaller towns, or Myeons and Eups, in 2008, up 2.3 times in 2007, the NSO said.

Although the government has been putting ever more emphasis on English education in public schools, spending for private English education rose by the most in terms of subject.

The private education spending for English rose by 11.8 percent, while that of other subjects, like Korean essay writing, fell by 10 percent, the NSO survey showed.

Educational attainment was also a significant factor in deciding the amount of private education spending.

Mothers with degrees from graduate schools spent 398,000 won a month on private education in 2008, whereas those with high school degrees spent half of that, or 201,000 won, the survey showed.

Korean households` total spending on private education stood at 18.72 trillion won in 2008, up 7.6 percent from a year earlier, while the GDP growth rate fell to 2.2 percent from 5.1 percent during the same period, according to the BOK. The private education expenditure was 1.12 million won per household last year.

The increase in private education spending came despite a deepening economic downturn following the global financial crisis in September.

Economists said low-income households were more vulnerable to educational disparity during economic downturns than in normal times.

"When the economy is in a slump, the top 20 percent households with high income can maintain spending in private education while the bottom 20 percent cannot," said Sohn Min-jung, research fellow at the Samsung Economic Research Institute.

"A stabilized growth is essential in maintaining middle-class households and preventing them from falling into the low-income bracket," he said.

By Kim Yoon-mi



(yoonmi@heraldm.com)