This study tried to explain the policy-making process of the Kim Young
Sam Government, relying on the review of related literature, as two stages
as follows: at the first stage policy agenda was set up by the Presidential
Commission on Education Reform(PCER) in cooperation with Secretary to the
President for Education, and Ministry of Education began to activate the
policy formation process through the legalization for the policy tasks, which
needed the help form the side of the National Parliament or Cabinet
Council. The PCER, fully supported by the President, took the initiative
during the whole policy process.
It was told that neo-liberalism was pervaded in the May 31 Educational
Reform, propagated by non-education experts working for the PCER in
accordance with the Presidential Secretary. The guidelines were followed by
the specification procedures played by the educational experts in the PCER
with rationality and professionalism. Mass-communication, interest groups,
and educational scholars were involved in the policy process in a positive
and cooperative mood, which contributed to the successful policy formation.
Also, the Ministry of Eduction, especially the Minister and the high-level
bureaucrats, being responsible for the response to the command from the
President given as May 31 Educational Reform, played the key role in the
policy-making process, which was highlighted in the legalization. The
National Assembly, The Cabinet Council, and the Ministry itself were
participated in terms of the level of the policy measures. Little problem was
found in this process under the supportive atmosphere.
Finally, teachers’associations need to participate more actively in the policy-making process, and the educational reform organization at the
central government as a permanent legal institution needs to be established
for the stable implementation of educational reform policies.