In school facilities open to the public, some groups are frowned upon for conducting profit-making activities such as private lessons. In particular, these groups monopolize school facilities, causing inconvenience to citizens.
According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education on the 15th, the Provincial Office of Education distributed the ‘School Facility Opening Revitalization Plan’ to each school in May. The document stipulates that the use of school facilities for commercial purposes is prohibited. However, it is possible to invite an instructor at the club level for existing members and pay the instructor fee.
However, it has been revealed that some clubs for sports for life are engaged in commercial activities such as private lessons that deviate from these regulations.
Elementary school A in Byeongjeom-dong, Hwaseong-si, loaned the gymnasium to badminton club B from last July to February of next year. It has been confirmed that Club B invites a coach and runs private lessons. Class fees are paid entirely in cash by individuals, not paid by clubs.
Club D, which uses the gymnasium at C middle school in Song-dong, Hwaseong-si, was found to be operating private lessons in a similar way.
Schools in the front line said they were aware of such for-profit activities, but said that it was not a problem. An official from elementary school A said, “It doesn’t seem to be a problem because the guidelines say that it is possible to invite an instructor.” There must be clear rules,” he said.
An official from Club B said, “It was customary, so I didn’t know if it would become a problem. If he had known it couldn’t work, he wouldn’t have run private lessons.”
The reason this type of operation is possible is because the clubs in question almost monopolize the school gymnasium. Regarding the rental of school facilities, due to problems such as management, groups using the facilities are drawn by lottery every year, and if there are many groups that want to use the facilities, a lottery is held every six months. Due to such a long period of use, the issue of facility monopoly is also being raised.
In the case of club B, it is used almost all the time after the students’ dismissal time, such as from 5:30 to 9:30 pm on weekdays except Saturday and from 1:30 to 5:00 pm on Sunday. Club D has also rented a lot of time, such as Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30 to 10:00 pm, and Sundays from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
An official from the provincial office of education said, “Classes for the purpose of profit-making in school facilities should not be conducted, but there are cases where the related regulations are ambiguous and abused.” I will arrange it,” he said. He added, “We are also reviewing measures for facility use contracts of more than six months so that many citizens can use the facilities.”
Meanwhile, out of 2,480 elementary, middle, and high schools in the province, 2,108 schools have gymnasiums, and 84% (1,779) of them are open to clubs.
Reporter Sujin Han
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