한말 강화 보창학교의 재정수입 분석

Abstract

The private Bochang School(1904~1915), established at Ganghwa province, was very famous in the nation. This research was intended to analyze the size of its financial income and reveal the characteristics of its financial structure. The total amount of fiscal revenue from 1905 to 1914 was estimated 15,600 Hwan(圜). By 1910, the average annual income was around 2,500 Hwan, which was similar to that of top private schools in Seoul. The portion of financial resources was followed by imperial subsidies (63%), general donations (21%), farm rent (12%) and Ganghwa county subsidies (4%). Imperial subsidies were the key financial resource. General donations contributed to financial security in 1905-1906 when the school started to grow in earnest with various departments, and 1908-1909 when imperial subsidies were suspended. On the other hand, total farm rent was far less than general donations, thus it was not a important factor. However, it contributed to financial stability from 1906 to 1915. In light of this financial structure, imperial support was a key driver behind the growth of the Bochang School. And it revealed that the general public and local governor were joining in this support. Imperial subsidies were interpreted as reflecting King Gojong's determination to foster national private schools instead of government-public schools, which were gradually dominated by Japan. A similar example was imperial support for Boseong School, which was founded in April 1905. From 1908, the Japanese began to oppress the Bochang School which was striving for nationalist education. A fatal way was to stop the imperial subsidies, a core part of financial resources. Thereafter, despite the efforts of the principal Lee Dong-hwi and the Ganghwa County Governor and the county residents, the Bochang School had great difficulty in operating school without solid financial foundation. A case of Bochang School showed how fragile finances of private schools were. That was because they relied on outside assistance heavily. At that time, private schools should have had stable and sufficient financial security measures. Otherwise, their survival itself could be jeopardized by Japan that plotted to transform private schools into public schools.