Lee hails launch of new technical schools

President Lee Myung-bak yesterday promised efforts to enhance technical secondary education during a joint opening ceremony of 21 new Meister high schools across the nation.

"The Meister high schools are a fresh challenge in reforming our educational system and will nurture human resources to open Korea`s new future for the 21st century," Lee said during the ceremony at Sudo Electric Technical High School in Seoul.

The government is promoting the new type of high-quality vocational schools to diversify education as well as to resolve worsening job and skill mismatches in the labor market.

The high schools are supposed to cultivate skilled workers under agreements with industrial enterprises and local governments,

Under support from the government and businesses, the schools offer many types of incentives for students, including all-expenses-paid scholarships, advantages in getting a job in local governments and advancing to colleges through work-to-school programs.



The 21 Meister high schools currently accommodate 3,600 students specializing in shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, semiconductors, medical equipment and other diverse fields.

The government plans to gradually increase the number of the schools to 50.

Lee promised full support for the system to take firm root. He also urged efforts by companies, local governments and teachers.

"Reckless entrance into college increases the people`s burden for private education and exacerbates youth unemployment, bringing huge losses to households and the country alike," Lee said.

Koreans spent 21.6 trillion won ($18.7 billion) for private tutoring in 2009 alone despite the government`s campaign to reduce the private education market.

The number of students enrolled in vocational high schools has declined, largely because the proliferation of universities and junior colleges increased the opportunities to advance to higher education.

(jjhwang@heraldm.com)



By Hwang Jang-jin