ID :
187694
Fri, 06/10/2011 - 12:00
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/187694
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College students set to rally for tuition cuts
(LEAD)SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- College students, civic groups and opposition parties prepared to hold a large-scale rally in central Seoul on Friday to demand that the government take steps to lower tuitions amid concern the protest could lead to a clash with police.
The planned demonstration is expected to be the largest in a series of candlelight vigils that college students have held in recent weeks to call for lower tuitions. Organizers estimated that tens of thousands of people would turn out for the protest.
Police have warned of stern responses if protesters occupy streets or engage in other illegal acts.
"We expect tens of thousands of collegians, people from all walks of life, opposition parties and civic groups to attend the rally," a coalition of about 510 civic groups said in a statement. "Police should allow them to hold a free, peaceful demonstration."
Leaders of four opposition parties will also attend the rally, including Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu, head of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).
The issue of tuition has been sensitive in a country where students annually protest against tuition raises. But this year's move has drawn keen attention from the political parties after the leading Grand National Party (GNP)'s new floor leader, Hwang Woo-yea, recently vowed to implement a "half-priced college tuition" policy to woo voters ahead of next year's major elections.
In response to the spread of protests, the GNP said it will come up with specific measures to slash tuitions as early as next week. Hwang has come under attack from his own party as he has unveiled the proposal without consultations with the government about how to secure the enormous budget needed for the drastic cuts in tuition costs.
On Friday, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-shik warned students against collective action.
"It is desirable for civic groups and college students to present and debate various opinions, but expressing views through collective action is not helpful to resolving problems at all," Kim said at a government policy coordination meeting.
In a related move, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) said it will conduct an extensive audit of colleges and universities in August.
The agency will inspect about 200 public and private colleges and universities across the country to determine if their standards for calculating tuition fees are proper and how they manage finances, Jeong Chang-yeong, secretary-general of the BAI, told reporters.
Schools found to have any management problems will face strict punishment, the official said.
About 200 officials, or one-third of the agency's manpower, will be assigned to the probe, making it the largest ever conducted by the agency, he added.
The move follows news reports that private universities made it a practice to unjustly spend school money for such purposes as giving extra allowances to college officials and paying for employees of affiliated hospitals, although half of the schools' finances come from tuitions.
The reports quoted the result of the education ministry's 2010 audit into 22 private universities, recently submitted to a ruling party lawmaker. The schools were randomly selected for the regular accounting audit, the reports said.
The planned demonstration is expected to be the largest in a series of candlelight vigils that college students have held in recent weeks to call for lower tuitions. Organizers estimated that tens of thousands of people would turn out for the protest.
Police have warned of stern responses if protesters occupy streets or engage in other illegal acts.
"We expect tens of thousands of collegians, people from all walks of life, opposition parties and civic groups to attend the rally," a coalition of about 510 civic groups said in a statement. "Police should allow them to hold a free, peaceful demonstration."
Leaders of four opposition parties will also attend the rally, including Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu, head of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).
The issue of tuition has been sensitive in a country where students annually protest against tuition raises. But this year's move has drawn keen attention from the political parties after the leading Grand National Party (GNP)'s new floor leader, Hwang Woo-yea, recently vowed to implement a "half-priced college tuition" policy to woo voters ahead of next year's major elections.
In response to the spread of protests, the GNP said it will come up with specific measures to slash tuitions as early as next week. Hwang has come under attack from his own party as he has unveiled the proposal without consultations with the government about how to secure the enormous budget needed for the drastic cuts in tuition costs.
On Friday, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-shik warned students against collective action.
"It is desirable for civic groups and college students to present and debate various opinions, but expressing views through collective action is not helpful to resolving problems at all," Kim said at a government policy coordination meeting.
In a related move, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) said it will conduct an extensive audit of colleges and universities in August.
The agency will inspect about 200 public and private colleges and universities across the country to determine if their standards for calculating tuition fees are proper and how they manage finances, Jeong Chang-yeong, secretary-general of the BAI, told reporters.
Schools found to have any management problems will face strict punishment, the official said.
About 200 officials, or one-third of the agency's manpower, will be assigned to the probe, making it the largest ever conducted by the agency, he added.
The move follows news reports that private universities made it a practice to unjustly spend school money for such purposes as giving extra allowances to college officials and paying for employees of affiliated hospitals, although half of the schools' finances come from tuitions.
The reports quoted the result of the education ministry's 2010 audit into 22 private universities, recently submitted to a ruling party lawmaker. The schools were randomly selected for the regular accounting audit, the reports said.
