By I am interested to hear what you English teachers teaching in Korean public schools think of this:
The main opposition Democratic Party yesterday stepped up moves to publicize its proposal to offer free meals at all elementary and middle schools, which has emerged as a hot-button issue ahead of the June 2 local elections.
DP leader Chung Sye-kyun and several party lawmakers visited an elementary school in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, to publicize the proposal, which the ruling Grand National Party denounced as an “irresponsible populist” measure to win votes.
“From an educational standpoint, it would be good to deal (with the issue) with the thought that the free meal service should be implemented where mandatory education is conducted,” Chung said in a meeting with teachers, parents and students.
“If (the ruling camp) changes its policies such as the four-river refurbishment and tax cuts, there will be no problems in implementing the service.” [Korea Herald]
This is actually a pretty clever populist idea to try and derail the ruling Lee Myung-bak’s government’s four river project. Putting the politics aside, does anyone think that free school lunches is something that is needed in Korean schools?
2:02 am on March 16th, 2010 1
Yes.
7:01 am on March 16th, 2010 2
No.
I don't want Korea turn into a deficit ridden welfare state like the West.
7:09 am on March 16th, 2010 3
Doesn't the South Korean government stockpile rice and other produce as a form of price support as the American government did with cheese and butter?
8:10 am on March 16th, 2010 4
Sooo…get rid of public education? Those brats have received enough handouts.
2:36 pm on March 16th, 2010 5
No way. Lunch costs between 35-50 bucks a month per child. School uniforms end up costing more and if we follow Minju's logic, since school is mandatory, then everything related to it must be free as well.
1) Lunch
2) Uniforms
3) Supplies
4) Field trips
5) Gym clothes & sneakers
This is a ploy and most Koreans will be against it. There is already a subsidy program in place and Minju -like always- is on the wrong of the issue.
9:36 pm on March 16th, 2010 6
As nasty as that food is sometimes, I'm surprised it ain't free!
My school has good food, but I know of some others that don't.
Make it free or cut back on the salt and fish bones; one or the other will suffice
6:12 am on March 17th, 2010 7
Sounds like little more than a political ploy to get votes.If the Korean Left really believed in free school lunches for Korean kids then why didn't they implement this policy during the 10 years they held power?
5:13 am on March 28th, 2012 8