Jeong Seok-woong, Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, Inspects On-site Operation of Care Classrooms

Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Jeonnam Education, visited Muan Oryong Elementary School and Naju Bitnuri Elementary School to check the status of care classroom operations following the nationwide care workers' strike. Photo by Jeonnam Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam, visited Muan Oryong Elementary School and Naju Bitnuri Elementary School on the 6th to check the status of after-school care room operations amid the nationwide strike of care workers.

Oryong Elementary School, which operates an afternoon care room, ran a special after-school program for children under care due to the care workers' strike. Meanwhile, at Naju Bitnuri Elementary School, care students spent their care time working on individual assignments in their original homeroom classrooms with their homeroom teachers after school.

Shin Dae-jeong, principal of Oryong Elementary School, said, “I am grateful that teachers voluntarily took care of the children,” adding, “I hope the children had a joyful time with the teachers through the special program and that it became an opportunity to grow closer.”

Currently, 426 elementary schools in Jeonnam province operate care rooms. Among them, 262 schools have at least one care worker participating in the strike. Out of a total of 620 care workers (permanent staff), 387 (62.4%) participated in the strike.

Superintendent Jang expressed to school officials, “I understand the difficulties of care workers who have been silently dedicated during COVID-19, but I could not help but worry about the care gap caused by the strike. I feel relieved that teachers are taking care of the students,” and urged, “It must be tough managing the curriculum and quarantine measures, but please cooperate a little more to prevent any care gaps.”

The day before the care workers’ strike, on the 5th, Superintendent Jang also visited Yeonggwang Elementary School to request care workers to refrain from participating in the strike and asked for cooperation between non-striking care workers and the school community to ensure safe care.

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