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[Lee Byung-jong] The perils of political leadership
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-- 학생들의 사회적 인성 기르겠다
-- 교육청 쇄신할 것
-- 교사들의 정치 행동 온당치 않아
서울시 교육감 후보로 나선 고승덕 후보 (56)가 자신의 교육 비전에 대해 설명했다.
고 후보는 본지와의 인터뷰를 통해 “우리 사회는 현재 공감결핍이라는 중병을 앓고 있다”고 지적했다. 그는 “보수와 진보로 분열된 교육정책, 현장의 소리에 귀 기울이지 않는 교육행정, 학맥으로 줄 세우기 하는 소수 관료 중심 행정이 서울 교육의 현실이고 문제점입니다”고 말했다.
고 후보는 이와 같은 문제점의 핵심에 교육감으로 대표되는 낡은 시스템이 있다면서 이를 쇄신하겠다는 의지를 천명했다.
그는 현재 혁신학교, 자율형 학교 등 기존 제도의 장점을 이어받아 일반고 전체에 적용시킨다는 ‘서울형 새학교’의 모델을 제안한 상태이다.
고 후보가 대표적으로 내놓는 ‘공감정책’의 핵심은 사회적 인성 교육이다. 그는 당선시 인성 교육 부분이 완전히 달라질 것이라고 말했다.
“21세기 사회 필요한 것은 남과 소통하고, 배려하고, 남에게 봉사하고, 공동체 들어가서 더불어 사는 사회적 인성이 중요한데 아직도 지금까지 초중등 교육에서는 개인적인 덕목으로서의 인성을 강조하고, 사회적 인성에 대해서는 눈을 뜨지 못하고 있다. 그것을 본격적으로 해서 글로벌 시민으로서 걸맞은 그런 인재를 키우겠다는 것이다”고 그는 말했다.
고 후보는 이러한 인성교육은 진로활동의 핵심이며 진로를 가르칠 상당한 시간에 사회적 인성을 교육하겠다고 말했다. 또한 이러한 인성 교육은 지식 위주가 아니라 체험활동을 통해 깨닫는 것이 되어야 한다고 말했다.
이를 위해 그는 직업반을 특성화반으로 바꾸겠다고 천명했는데, 여기서는 사회적인 인성, 직업에 대한 태도와 인성을 훈련시켜 어느 직종에서건 남과 함께 일할 수 있는 태도와 습관을 확립시킬 수 있다고 말했다.
고 후보는 교육계에서 다소 생소한 인사라는 지적에 대해 오히려 “법조인, 방송 활동, 금용/경제 전문가, 청소년 멘토링과 교육 분야에서 다양한 활동을 한 저 같은 사람이 새로운 교육에 필요하다”고 말했다.
또한 본인이 교육계 외부 인사라는 점이 관료주의에 휘둘리지 않고 쇄신할 수 있다는 장점이라고 주장했다.
“세월호 사건으로 관료주의의 병폐가 드러나고 있습니다. 교육현장도 마찬가지로 관료주의가 더욱 심화하고 있는데, 그 원인은 특정학과 출신의 특정세력들이 교육청을 장악하고 폐쇄적으로 교육청을 운영하고 있기 때문이라고 생각합니다”라고 고 후보는 말했다.
그는 이와 같은 병폐의 예로 단일화 과정을 예를 들었다. 그는 단일화 과정이 “없어질 폐습”이라며, 이는 진영논리와 정치를 교육에 끌어들인다고 지적했다.
고 후보는 최근 “대한민국올바른교육감추대전국회의(이하 올바른교육감)”에 의해 보수 단일 후보로 추대된 문용린 교육감이 ‘보수 단일후보’라고 하는 것에 대해 허위사실 유포라며 강력히 반발해왔다.
또한 단일화 과정의 투명성에 대해 의문점을 공개적으로 제시해왔는데, 올바른교육감 측은 이에 대해 고 후보 측이 먼저 단일화 과정 참여를 검토했었다며 그가 거짓말을 하고 있다고 비판한 바 있다. 고 후보는 올바른교육감 측의 주장을 부인했다.
한편 고 후보는 ‘교육계에서 생소한 인물’이라는 문 교육감의 지적에 대해 오히려 문 교육감의 초중고 교육현장에서의 경험에 대해 의문을 제기하고 나섰다. 그는 “선진국 중에서는 초중교 교육 현장이 아닌 동떨어진 상아탑에서 교육학만 혼자 공부한 사람을 전문가라고 투입하는 나라는 거의 없다”면서 정책 전문가나 CEO형 교육감이 필요하다고 주장했다.
고 후보는 “교육감이라고 하는 것은 가르치는 것이 아니라 가르치는 사람, 배우는 사람들이 꿈을 살리고 기를 살려서 잘 뛸 수 있도록 도와주는 사람”이라면서 교육감에 대한 패러다임 전환이 필요하다고 주장했다.
고 후보는 현재 한국의 학생, 교사들은 매우 우수하다면서, 인재들이 잘 뛸 수 있도록 하는 히딩크 같은 교육감이 되겠다고 말했다.
이번 선거 최고의 화두로 떠오른 안전 교육에 대해서는 일본과 같은 선진국에서 시행하고 있는 ‘학생안전 데이’를 실시할 것이라고 말했다. 이는 소방관이 직접 학교에 출동, 실제 화재상황처럼 대피하는 훈련 등 체험위주 안전교육을 골자로 하고 있다.
일본은 수영 교육을 의무화하는 등 해상 안전 교육을 철저히 하는 것으로 알려져 있으며, 지진이 잦은 미국 캘리포니아 등에서는 지진 대비 훈련을 평상시에도 철저히 하고 있다.
고 후보는 “현장 체험을 통해 안전사고나 재난으로부터 스스로 몸을 보호할 수 있는 능력을 가지게 될 것”이라면서 이러한 교육을 통해 세월호 참사와 같은 비극을 막을 수 있다고 말했다.
한편 박근혜 정부의 세월호 참사 대응에 대해 비판의 목소리가 높아지는 가운데, 고 후보는 교사들이 정치 중립성을 지켜야 한다고 입장을 분명히 했다. 그는 “아직 사회에 안 나간 청소년에게는 절대 편향된 시각을 보여줘선 안된다”면서 “정치편향적 집단행동만큼은 피해야 한다고” 주장했다.
고 후보는 마지막으로 “현장의 목소리를 듣지 않고 소수집단 관료가 지배해온 시스템 때문에 우리 아이들의 꿈이 죽어가고 선생들의 기가 꺾여가고 있다”면서 “낡은 시스템을 쇄신하고 교육계에 새 바람을 불어넣는 첫 민선 교육감이 되겠다”고 말했다.
<관련 영문 기사>
‘Seoul’s rusty education system should be revamped’
Ex-lawmaker Koh likens himself to Hiddink; promises to renovate schools
Koh Seung-duk has seemingly done it all.
He was the first person to pass Korea’s state exams for law, public administration and diplomacy. Having spent three decades as a lawyer, while at the same time appearing on TV as a legal expert for 20 years and spending 15 years as a financial adviser, Koh became a member of the National Assembly in 2008.
But the 56-year-old is not widely seen as an educator, an irony for someone seeking to become the education chief for a city of 10 million.
“It’s a common misperception. I’ve spent 10 years mentoring and advising teenagers. And when you count all those years I’ve taught at universities, my education-related work amounts to some 20 years. Education is an important part of my life,” said Koh, who is running for Seoul education superintendent on June 4.
He said that today’s educational authorities consisted of a handful of self-styled experts that monopolize the major positions. He pointed to current Seoul education chief Moon Yong-rin, as the “Godfather” of this select group of people, who all graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in education.
Koh claimed that, as an outsider, he is best suited to revamp the old system. He likened himself to Guus Hiddink, the world-renowned Dutch soccer coach who is beloved in Korea for leading the Korean national team to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup.
“When our team made the run (in 2002), it was not because we brought in players from other country. Our players have always been there, but the coaching staff failed to let them play properly.
“The reason the Seoul education system falls short is because of the ‘rusty system,’ which is essentially rooted in the education chief. Teachers have been telling me the authorities pay no heed to their opinions.”
He claimed that the so-called rusty system has been holding back the students from realizing their potential.
“The 21st century calls for someone who can bring together various fields of expertise. This is basically what my life has been about. I’m the only candidate who has professional experience in drawing up new policies,” he said, pointing to his four years as a lawmaker for the Grand National Party, now the ruling Saenuri Party.
The former lawyer criticized the current system that picks a “solitary scholar from their ivory tower” as its chief.
Traditionally, the education chief posts have been held by former professors and teachers. The parliament agreed in February that from July, all candidates for an education chief to must have worked in the related fields for at least three years, excluding June election.
If Koh does get elected, he will be a lone exception in the long line of lifelong teachers and professors. While Koh claims to have accumulated some 20 years of education-related experience, he is seen as an outsider. His conservative rival Moon flat-out called him “a stranger” in educational circles.
His perceived lack of educational experience could undermine his bid, but Koh has been promoting it as an advantage.
“An education chief is not someone who teaches, but someone who can encourage the teachers and students to focus on their dreams. On the whole, education is a public welfare service. This means a policy expert or CEO-type education chief are best suited for the job, not someone who has been studying by themselves at a university” he said.
Koh vowed to improve the regular schools across the country, rather than focus the city’s resources on handful of “experimental schools.” Elite schools, such as foreign language high schools, international schools and autonomous high schools have been introduced to test new systems but have created a de facto caste system of schools and students.
“We’ve had our share of experiments in education, and the teachers are saying that regular schools are paying for them,” he said. The idea behind these experimental schools was that once an appropriate system has been established, the idea will trickle down to the rest.
“The reality is that few schools receive the benefits while most are denied,” Koh said.
With the election just around the corner, Koh is currently holding a sizable lead over his rivals. He garnered somewhere between 20 and 30 percent approval rating, and holds a 10 percent lead over the runner-up Moon Yong-rin.
But it is still too soon for Koh to get comfortable as nearly half of the respondents said they were unsure of whom they would vote for.
According to a survey by the National Election Commission, over 85 percent of the constituency said they would vote in the upcoming election. While it is very unlikely the actual voting rates will be that high – participation in the local elections in 2010 was just 54.5 percent -- the recent ferry sinking and the lackluster government response to it is expected to drive up the voting rates.
Since all voters for the local elections have to also choose education chiefs for their constituency, a large chunk of the undecided votes may select their picks very close to the election, which could dictate the outcome.
Elections for education chiefs generally get the least attention, as the public is often unfamiliar with the candidates. This means Koh’s level of support may derive from being easily the most well-known figure out of the prominent candidates, and the actual results could be different.
Cho Hi-yeon, the sole liberal candidate, has approval ratings of under 10 percent, but left-leaning voters that account for a large portion of the undecided bloc may decide to rally behind him.
The question remains whether Koh can persuade the voters that his time spent outside the classroom is actually a merit, and not a shortcoming.
“I feel that a wind of change is upon us. The paradigm for educating a social leader has shifted from equipping students with the best qualifications to preparing them to come up with bright ideas for themselves,” he said. “My life spans across various field, and the years I spent teaching children led me to believe that ‘new education’ needs someone like me.”
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
‘Seoul’s rusty education system should be revamped’
Ex-lawmaker Koh likens himself to Hiddink; promises to renovate schools
Koh Seung-duk has seemingly done it all.
He was the first person to pass Korea’s state exams for law, public administration and diplomacy. Having spent three decades as a lawyer, while at the same time appearing on TV as a legal expert for 20 years and spending 15 years as a financial adviser, Koh became a member of the National Assembly in 2008.
But the 56-year-old is not widely seen as an educator, an irony for someone seeking to become the education chief for a city of 10 million.
“It’s a common misperception. I’ve spent 10 years mentoring and advising teenagers. And when you count all those years I’ve taught at universities, my education-related work amounts to some 20 years. Education is an important part of my life,” said Koh, who is running for Seoul education superintendent on June 4.
He said that today’s educational authorities consisted of a handful of self-styled experts that monopolize the major positions. He pointed to current Seoul education chief Moon Yong-rin, as the “Godfather” of this select group of people, who all graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in education.
Koh claimed that, as an outsider, he is best suited to revamp the old system. He likened himself to Guus Hiddink, the world-renowned Dutch soccer coach who is beloved in Korea for leading the Korean national team to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup.
“When our team made the run (in 2002), it was not because we brought in players from other country. Our players have always been there, but the coaching staff failed to let them play properly.
“The reason the Seoul education system falls short is because of the ‘rusty system,’ which is essentially rooted in the education chief. Teachers have been telling me the authorities pay no heed to their opinions.”
He claimed that the so-called rusty system has been holding back the students from realizing their potential.
“The 21st century calls for someone who can bring together various fields of expertise. This is basically what my life has been about. I’m the only candidate who has professional experience in drawing up new policies,” he said, pointing to his four years as a lawmaker for the Grand National Party, now the ruling Saenuri Party.
The former lawyer criticized the current system that picks a “solitary scholar from their ivory tower” as its chief.
Traditionally, the education chief posts have been held by former professors and teachers. The parliament agreed in February that from July, all candidates for an education chief to must have worked in the related fields for at least three years, excluding June election.
If Koh does get elected, he will be a lone exception in the long line of lifelong teachers and professors. While Koh claims to have accumulated some 20 years of education-related experience, he is seen as an outsider. His conservative rival Moon flat-out called him “a stranger” in educational circles.
His perceived lack of educational experience could undermine his bid, but Koh has been promoting it as an advantage.
“An education chief is not someone who teaches, but someone who can encourage the teachers and students to focus on their dreams. On the whole, education is a public welfare service. This means a policy expert or CEO-type education chief are best suited for the job, not someone who has been studying by themselves at a university” he said.
Koh vowed to improve the regular schools across the country, rather than focus the city’s resources on handful of “experimental schools.” Elite schools, such as foreign language high schools, international schools and autonomous high schools have been introduced to test new systems but have created a de facto caste system of schools and students.
“We’ve had our share of experiments in education, and the teachers are saying that regular schools are paying for them,” he said. The idea behind these experimental schools was that once an appropriate system has been established, the idea will trickle down to the rest.
“The reality is that few schools receive the benefits while most are denied,” Koh said.
With the election just around the corner, Koh is currently holding a sizable lead over his rivals. He garnered somewhere between 20 and 30 percent approval rating, and holds a 10 percent lead over the runner-up Moon Yong-rin.
But it is still too soon for Koh to get comfortable as nearly half of the respondents said they were unsure of whom they would vote for.
According to a survey by the National Election Commission, over 85 percent of the constituency said they would vote in the upcoming election. While it is very unlikely the actual voting rates will be that high – participation in the local elections in 2010 was just 54.5 percent -- the recent ferry sinking and the lackluster government response to it is expected to drive up the voting rates.
Since all voters for the local elections have to also choose education chiefs for their constituency, a large chunk of the undecided votes may select their picks very close to the election, which could dictate the outcome.
Elections for education chiefs generally get the least attention, as the public is often unfamiliar with the candidates. This means Koh’s level of support may derive from being easily the most well-known figure out of the prominent candidates, and the actual results could be different.
Cho Hi-yeon, the sole liberal candidate, has approval ratings of under 10 percent, but left-leaning voters that account for a large portion of the undecided bloc may decide to rally behind him.
The question remains whether Koh can persuade the voters that his time spent outside the classroom is actually a merit, and not a shortcoming.
“I feel that a wind of change is upon us. The paradigm for educating a social leader has shifted from equipping students with the best qualifications to preparing them to come up with bright ideas for themselves,” he said. “My life spans across various field, and the years I spent teaching children led me to believe that ‘new education’ needs someone like me.”
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
