<Individual Papers>The Currents and Prospects of Local Education Governance in Korea

This paper deals with the currents and prospects of local-level education governance in Korea ; focusing on the revision of the related law in 2006 and the election of 2010. After the reestablishment of the system for autonomy of education in 1991, which came in a separated form of educational autonomy for that moment, the system has gradually changed into an incorporated form of educational autonomy. In these streams, the amendments of the relevant law in 2006 intended for the form of local education governance to change into the complete incorporated form of educational autonomy. That is, the bill included the abolition of the superintendent as well as the Board of Education. Additionally, the bill made the Provincial Assembly the only decision-making institution in charge of education; this power taken from the Board of Educadon. In addition, the new bill gave mayor the power to appoint the superintendent. Educational circles spoke up against the bill, criticizing the amendment as nothing less than a breach of the constitution. They demanded the continuance of the Board of Education, changing the way of electing the superintendent. As a result of a compromise between the two sides, the bill was revised. The new bill included the following: the Board of Education was incorporated into the Provincial Assembly and the new Board of Education comprised municipal assemblymen and assemblymen for education who were elected representatives. Additionally, residents would elect the superintendent by direct election. The new bill can be appreciated as a step toward the transformation of educational autonomy into the complete incorporated form of educational autonomy. Based on the new bill, Korea held elections to elect superintendents, municipal assemblymen, and assemblymen for education in 2010. Six \u27so called\u27progressive superintendents were elected. The Provincial Assembly and the Board of Education of the Provincial Assembly composes a variety of party members, from the assembly run by the ruling party to the one run by the opposition. As the new structures of local-level education governance are formed, the system of educational autonomy may not change into the incorporated one, contrary to the intention of the new bill