Election Entering the Classroom, First Period is 'Sovereignty'

First Vote at Age 18... How Are Election Classes Conducted in Schools?

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Starting from the upcoming April National Assembly election, those aged 18 will also be able to vote. In terms of school grade, this corresponds to high school seniors, and there are 140,000 high school seniors who will turn 18 by election day. Since the total number of high school seniors nationwide is 450,000, this means that in every classroom, approximately 1 in 3 students will be granted voting rights. Schools are now faced with the challenge of guaranteeing the rights of these 'voters in school uniforms' while dispelling concerns about 'violations of election laws' or 'political bias in education.' Accordingly, the education authorities have decided to strengthen democratic citizenship education and support election education linked to the curriculum. For example, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is preparing to conduct a 'mock election project class' for the first time this year and to enhance education on social issues. What exactly will our students learn during these classes? How can teachers, who are required to maintain 'political neutrality,' conduct classes without becoming embroiled in controversies over political bias?

◆ Preparing Both 'Guidelines' and 'Election Education' = Voices are growing louder in schools calling for various forms of civic education. It is not enough to simply learn about democratic institutions; each student must internalize democratic values and develop attitudes and competencies as citizens. Although student council elections and student self-governance activities have existed, it is clear that there has been neither the time nor the atmosphere to closely examine social issues or political matters outside the school environment.

However, with less than a month and a half remaining from the March school reopening to the general election, it seems tight to hold democratic citizenship education for high school seniors who should be focusing on college entrance exams and job preparations. A high school social studies teacher said, "High school seniors usually finish their textbook curriculum in the first semester," adding, "Rather than educating high school seniors, more systematic class preparations should be made for first and second-year students who will gain voting rights in the future."

There are also voices insisting that education on the Public Official Election Act must be conducted first, no matter how busy the schedule is. Clear interpretations are needed on whether students who belong to a specific political party can campaign at school, or whether candidates can enter schools or classrooms to solicit support. The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the National Election Commission, plans to send a 'casebook' to each school that distinguishes between legally permitted election campaigning and prohibited activities, to ensure that students and teachers do not violate election laws during next year's general election.

◆ 'Mock Election Education' That Can Be Applied Practically Gains Attention = So, how can election education be conducted within the actual curriculum? According to the current social studies curriculum, students learn concepts such as democracy, resident participation, and local problem-solving in grades 3 and 4 of elementary school; democratic life and democratic political systems in grades 5 and 6. Upon entering middle school, they study forms of government, local autonomy systems, elections, and citizen participation. In high school, subjects like 'Politics and Law' and 'Integrated Social Studies' cover voting rights, political participation, political parties, interest groups, and civic organizations.

However, textbook content is inevitably limited to knowledge education about election systems. This is where 'mock election education' comes in. It is a method to help future voters understand election systems and the importance of suffrage, providing an opportunity to deeply learn about many social issues addressed in elections during class time. During the June 13, 2018 local elections, 17 middle and high schools nationwide conducted mock elections led by the civic education organization Jinggeomdari Education Community. Earlier, during the 2017 presidential election, the youth organization YMCA also held mock elections advocating for expanded youth suffrage.

For example, at a school in Seoul that conducted an integrated class themed on mock elections, students read policy booklets of candidates for Seoul mayor and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education superintendent during Korean language class and compared their pledges. In essay writing classes, students debated educational issues related to the superintendent election and wrote essays. After class, students voted as if in a real election. Groups created campaign materials supporting their chosen candidates, held pledge presentation sessions, and students themselves formed an election management committee to share the voting and counting processes.

Kim Young-bok, a teacher at Samgaksan High School who conducted mock election classes, said, "Students who participated personally felt how precious their single vote is," adding, "By comparing their mock election results with actual election outcomes, they recognized the importance of elections and showed a willingness to actively participate in voting in the future."

◆ School Election Education Will Change Our Lives = This is the first time that education authorities officially support such mock election classes. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education selected 40 schools last year to conduct 'mock election project learning,' including 10 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, and 19 high schools, in line with the expansion of voting age. Each school receives 500,000 won to cover teaching materials and other expenses needed for the classes.

Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, recently declared to reporters, "We will ensure that even students without voting rights can receive democratic citizenship education." Accordingly, the Ministry of Education plans to develop and distribute educational materials by the end of next month so that election education can be conducted during high school social studies classes or creative experiential activities starting from the new semester in March.

However, some politicians and conservative teacher organizations express concerns that biased election classes might be conducted in schools. The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations warned, "Conflicts between students over pros and cons could intensify, turning classrooms into battlegrounds for factional confrontations," and has demanded amendments to the Public Official Election Act and the Local Education Autonomy Act to prohibit or restrict election campaigning and political activities within schools and classrooms.

Kang Min-jung, executive director of Jinggeomdari Education Community, pointed out, "Just as students who studied English for 10 years could barely speak a word when meeting foreigners, it is a big problem at the national and societal level that students, after 12 years of schooling, are unprepared to properly exercise their sovereignty when voting." She added, "It is right to raise interest and support for election education and for all political parties and candidates to provide their pledges and policies to schools in accordance with students' developmental stages," emphasizing, "Election education determines the quality of life for all of us."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.