The controversy over free school meals continues to grow with a recent row at a local high school adding fuel to fire.
On April 2, vice principal of Seoul’s Choongam High School Kim Jong-kap reportedly sent back students who were late in paying fees for meals at the school canteen.
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| Yoon Myung-hwa (center), Seoul education office’s students’ rights officer, arrives at Choongam High School in northern Seoul to verify allegations about the school’s actions regarding school meals on Wednesday. Yonhap |
In doing so, the vice principal is said to have used coarse words ranging from “stop eating” to “beat it.”
He is also said to have checked each student’s name from a list and told them how much they owed in meal fees in front of other students.
With the incident receiving extensive media coverage, and going viral on the Internet, the school’s principal issued an official statement through the school’s home page on Tuesday.
In the statement, principal Bang Sang-kuk said that the vice principal denies using coarse language, but that he would take “appropriate action” if related reports prove to be true.
The vice principal also posted a statement saying that he could not help but check the list as the school is weighed down with snowballing late payments.
According to the statement, about 6 million won ($5,500) of meal fees was unpaid in March, and that those who graduated earlier this year left nearly 40 million won in unpaid meal fees.
While the school denies it, the development comes as the row over free school meals reignited in the political arena.
South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo’s push to end free school meals has incited strong opposition from parents and progressive politicians including Rep. Moon Jae-in, chairman of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
