Obtuse Headlines

Okay, so the first article on today's Korea Times webpage is "Why is Lee Pushing for Education Reform?" First of all, maybe because Duh, Korea could really use some excellent education reform. Let's move beyond the obvious though, the article didn't actually mention any critique of Lee's plans despite what the title seemed to imply. The only less than satisfactory line in regards to Lee's actions was this:

Lee's new hands-on approach to education is seen as a rare move from the head of state, who has been mainly focused on reviving the economy and creating jobs.

I've repeatedly mentioned that short time economic revival measures are great for kick starting a sluggish economy but long term investments, particularly in education are invaluable when it comes to providing a viable workforce. Importing skilled workers is hugely expensive and eventually will impact a firm's ability to maintain a competitive edge in the global market.

Besides, I don't think that the president wanting to cut down on ridiculous hazing practices and decreasing the burden of private education costs for families is a terrible thing. Now if only he could get all of the public schools on the same vacation schedule so families could maybe take a holiday together...