July 26 Legislative Report: Education Committee Raises Parent Committee Ratio to 40% and Expands Tuition Disclosure

Strengthening Educational Sovereignty... Encouraging Parent Participation and Improving Tuition Transparency

In the first half of the 22nd National Assembly, the Education Committee is reviewing a series of bills aimed at expanding parental participation rights in education and enhancing the transparency of university finances. Rep. Baek Young-hyun of the People Power Party recently introduced a revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to legally guarantee parental involvement in education for the prevention of school violence. Furthermore, by improving the composition standards of school management committees to be more effective, a systematic framework has been prepared to allow voices from the field to be directly reflected in educational administration. This is analyzed as an attempt to substantially strengthen the role of school self-governing bodies, which have until now operated formally, thereby promoting checks and balances and cooperation among educational subjects.

In the field of higher education, a revision to the Higher Education Act is also being pursued to drastically expand the obligation to disclose tuition status from some universities to all universities. Introduced as an alternative, this bill focuses on raising the ratio of parents within the school management committee to over 40%, higher than before. According to the exact numerical standards agreed upon with the education authorities, this legal mandatory measure is expected to significantly enhance the transparency of financial operations in private universities. It is also evaluated as a key measure for resolving information asymmetry and providing a foundation for students and parents to make rational judgments.

Budget Review Intensive Questions... Blocking Illicit Receipts by Private Universities

According to the National Assembly Education Committee minutes, Rep. Baek Young-hyun strongly urged the creation of grounds to block illicit receipt of subsidies by private universities during a rigorous review of the government's budget bill and fund management plan. Serving as a member of the Bill Review Subcommittee of the Education Committee for the first half of the 22nd Assembly and reviewing the partial amendment to the Higher Education Act, he pointed out that institutional recovery mechanisms must be clearly established so that state subsidies are managed thoroughly without omission. Considering the repeated cases of fraudulent budget compilation and embezzlement at universities, a legal defense mechanism to prevent national financial leakage has emerged as an urgent task. This precise budget monitoring is expected to serve as a catalyst for maximizing the efficiency of the government's financial support for higher education in the future.

Rep. Sim Dae-pyung of the Rebuilding Korea Party also participated in the same committee activities, closely examining the policy response logic of regional national universities facing restructuring. He visited the site in September 2024 to inspect the discussions on the integration of Gyeongsang National University and Changwon National University. In a market situation where the appropriateness and accountability of government budget input are continuously demanded, rigorous monitoring at the National Assembly level is becoming an essential procedure. This is based on the judgment that the original goal of fostering regional talent cannot be achieved without ensuring the financial soundness of the integrated corporation.

Regulation of School Political Activities and Overhaul of Judicial System

Legislative attempts to establish political neutrality in education are also steadily underway. Rep. Hong Sung-ki of the Rebuilding Korea Party, together with members of the National Assembly Education Committee, introduced a partial amendment to the Framework Act on Education to strictly restrict the political activities of teachers. The main point is to block election interference and support for specific political parties by teachers' unions, thereby protecting the normal educational environment of schools. This aligns with Rep. Hong's actions during the 2024 Ministry of Education audit, where he intensively questioned the designation of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU) as non-labor workers and the issue of union membership, reaffirming the principle of prohibition of political activities by teachers. If this bill passes, it is expected to improve the study atmosphere and provide an opportunity to restore the teacher's credibility.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea has adopted a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act as its official party platform, which involves reviving the so-called "whole-case referral" system, where police unconditionally transfer all investigated cases to prosecutors, in exchange for completely abolishing the prosecutor's supplementary investigation rights. With the unanimous agreement of all 106 members present at the general meeting of lawmakers, the ruling party's resolve for legal reform appears strong. The bill is evaluated as timely in that it designs a practical supplement to minimize gaps in relief for victims of crimes against socially vulnerable groups, such as sex crimes and stalking, while completely separating investigation and prosecution functions by eliminating the prosecutor's exclusive right to direct investigation.

In order to tidy up the judicial system chaos caused by the issue of investigation authority adjustment, they are picking up speed with the goal of processing it at the plenary session on the 30th. On the other hand, People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jin-seok expressed concern that the bill excessively reduces the prosecution's investigation authority, creating a serious hole in the investigation of major crimes, and declared that he would confront it with a strong filibuster if it is brought up. Due to the opposition's fundamental rejection, there is a possibility that a pattern of extreme confrontation similar to the Resource Circulation Act incident in June, where eight defections occurred within the party during the plenary vote, may recur. The final processing result of this bill will serve as a crucial watershed that will permanently shape the overall landscape of the Korean judicial system.