A Study on the Proposal for Extension of Local Autonomy and Financial Atonomy of Local Education

Abstract

The measures to extend local education autonomy are as follows: First, it is necessary to correct the confusion of the legal system of the local education autonomy system. For this, Article 12, Paragraph 2 and 4 of the 「Special Act on Local Autonomy and Decentralization, and Restructuring of Local Administrative Systems」 which state that “The State shall endeavor to consolidate systems for autonomy in education and local government” and “The implementation of autonomy in education and the autonomous police system shall be prescribed separately by Acts” should be deleted. Second, it is necessary to clarify unnecessary legal matters and regulatory measures for unification at the national level and to proactively consider the introduction of the legal trust system, in which education affairs are designated as local governments' own work and the state carries out specific affairs. The decentralization of local education finance is a key factor for the development of local education autonomy, and it requires the transfer of authority and resources to the region, and the enhancement of local autonomy and corresponding responsibility. First, the ratio of special grants must be adjusted further (from 3% to 2%) or the ratio of national policy projects must be lowered. Second, the provision that requires a consultation with a mayor/governor when making a budget covered by transfers from general accounts should be deleted. Third, it is necessary to remove the elements that limit the authority of city and provincial councils. Fourth, it is necessary to integrate the national education tax and the local education tax to create the education autonomy tax (tentative name) for only one independent purpose. Fifth, it is necessary to strengthen the distribution of the total amount of grants and abolish the settlement regulations for the measurement items of standard financial demand. Sixth is the expansion of the participation of stakeholders and experts in the grant distribution process. Seventh, it is necessary to establish a long-term employment system by designating the education finance field as a special field. Eight is the expansion of cooperative governance.