“Local Government Transfer Ultimately Means Private Outsourcing”… Care Teachers Angry at Gwangju Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] Elementary school care workers in the Gwangju area have opposed the transfer of care classrooms to local governments. They argue that if the operation of elementary care classrooms is transferred to local governments, there is a high possibility of private consignment, which could lead to problems such as the employment of dedicated workers and the quality of care, ultimately causing harm to the children.

The Gwangju branch of the National Education Public Officials Union held a strike rally in front of the main gate of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education on the morning of the 6th. Through a resolution statement, they said, “We have continuously raised issues about the abnormally operated care classrooms and demanded the strengthening of public care functions, but the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and others have remained silent,” adding, “Even though conflicts among school members are causing harm to children, the education authorities are just watching. We urge them to show responsible actions.”

They continued, “With the advent of the COVID-19 era, the role of care has increased and its functions have strengthened, but working conditions remain poor. For example, during online school openings, emergency care was operated, and due to the working conditions of part-time care workers, remote learning assistants and honorary teachers were temporarily deployed, leading to a decline in the quality of care,” emphasizing, “To resolve these issues and ensure the stable operation of care classrooms, we have demanded the abolition of part-time care workers and the enactment of legislation for a systematic national care policy centered on children and parents from the education authorities.”

They also criticized, “The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education is doing worse than private companies,” and said, “The very people who created 4- to 5-hour jobs are now telling us to leave because we are inconvenient and bothersome.”

They stated, “The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education proposed to talk after this strike rally ends. However, just because the transfer to local governments is temporarily halted does not mean it will disappear entirely,” adding, “If necessary, we will not hesitate to hold a second or third strike to ensure our demands are met so that we can care for children in a better environment.”

Meanwhile, this care strike was triggered by the “Special Act on the Operation and Support of All-day Care Systems” proposed in the National Assembly.

The main point of the bill is that the central government establishes a comprehensive plan related to care, but local government heads, in consultation with education superintendents, create implementation plans tailored to regional characteristics. However, since financial conditions vary by local government and there is a lack of infrastructure including child facilities, it is known that there is a high possibility of operation through private consignment.

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