A professor records an online lecture at the University of Ulsan in the city of that name, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 12, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean universities are facing growing calls for refunds from students as classes are being disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Most universities postponed the start of the new semester by one or two weeks and many are replacing in-person classes with online lectures.
A petition filed with the presidential office calling for a cut in university fees had garnered close to 74,400 signatures as of Friday.
The petition posted on March 2 said the delayed spring semester and remote classes encroach on students’ right to learn.
“The quality of online lectures prepared in such a short period of time will inevitably be lower than that of normal lectures. Students need to be compensated with a reduction in tuition fees,” its anonymous author wrote.
On Wednesday, a network of 27 university student councils demanded tuition refunds during a news conference in front of the presidential office in central Seoul.
The group said 83.8 percent of students think refunds are necessary, citing its survey of 12,000 students conducted on Feb. 28. Its representatives met education ministry officials late last month to press their demand.
Tuition return is also one of the hottest issues among students on online forums.
“Most classes of my major involve learning practical skills in person. I feel like it is a waste to pay all the tuition fees,” one student wrote on Facebook.
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday the government has no say on the matter and that the decision is up to university presidents.
School officials have given the demand a largely negative reception.
“After tuition has been frozen and school revenues have remained almost the same for more than 10 years, if refunds are made, universities will find it harder to endure,” an official from a university in Gyeonggi Province, near Seoul, said.
He also cited the very complex calculus of how much should be paid back.
“This is a time to concentrate our efforts on preventing the spread of the virus,” an official from another university said.
He expressed understanding about students’ complaints, especially from those majoring in disciplines reliant on practical courses.
“Schools, students and the government should discuss later how to provide compensation for class losses with various options,” he said.
(Yonhap)
