[School Stories] Competition Never Disappears

Among our country’s universities, Seoul National University is the only one ranked within the world’s top 100. Even then, it is only 63rd. It ranks far below the National University of Singapore (19th) and Peking University in China (14th). This stands in sharp contrast to our manufacturing sector, which includes world-class companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Heavy Industries.

The cause must be sought in competition and protection. Korean manufacturing firms, which had to compete with the world from early on, rose to become first-rate global companies. In contrast, the education sector, which has been thoroughly shielded from openness and in which leveling policies have eliminated competition even among domestic schools, has failed to produce a single world-class institution.

Even those who dislike competition in education have their own reasons. Competition not only makes those involved struggle, but also creates rankings and inequality. If hierarchy and competition are removed, there is no need to worry about falling behind, and inequality can also be prevented. In that sense, leveling is a doubly beneficial device.

But that is only half the story when it comes to competition. Looking at the bigger picture, the story is quite different. The time during which we can live comfortably by restraining competition among ourselves and blocking entry from foreigners will not last very long. To the extent that we live comfortably without competition, our teachers lose motivation and our students’ abilities decline. Meanwhile, schools in other countries relentlessly hone their capabilities. Protection and leveling reduce the competitiveness of Korean education as a whole.

In a globalized world, leveling in the true sense cannot exist. Domestic leveling among ourselves is only a temporary illusion. In the meantime, the gap between our teachers and those in other countries continues to widen.

At least now, it is becoming difficult even to suppress competition within the country. That is because Korean education consumers have begun making choices in the global market. In other words, Koreans can now choose foreign schools if they are dissatisfied with Korean education. If we tie our schools down under the banner of leveling, competition will not disappear; rather, students will simply be taken away by foreign schools all the more quickly.

As the saying goes, if you cannot avoid it, enjoy it. Competition among schools is exactly that.

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Original title: [학교이야기] 경쟁은 없어지지 않는다

Author: Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

Date: 2008-06-30

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=column&pn=18&idx=10712