Chairman Kim Yongjip of Gwangju City Council Leads, Comprehensive Amendment Bill on Teachers' Rights and Educational Activities Passed

Kim Yongjip, Chairman of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The “Ordinance on the Protection of Teachers' Authority and Educational Activities in Gwangju Metropolitan City,” fully revised and proposed by Kim Yong-jip, Chairman of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council, passed the review of the relevant standing committee (Education and Culture Committee) on the 22nd.

Chairman Kim Yong-jip stated, “I proposed the amendment to form a public consensus to protect teachers from infringements on their authority by students and parents and to improve related systems.”

The main points of this full revision are establishing basic principles for protecting teachers' educational activities, further strengthening the responsibilities of the Superintendent of Education, and organizing overlapping and conflicting provisions between the “Special Act on the Improvement of Teachers' Status and Protection of Educational Activities,” revised in December 2019, and the current ordinance.

Additionally, it provides grounds for promoting projects to protect educational activities, such as reducing teachers' administrative tasks, preventing infringement on teachers' private time outside working hours through various communication means, and developing educational materials and programs for preventing infringements on teachers' authority.

Chairman Kim Yong-jip emphasized, “When teachers' authority is infringed, it leads to a loss of teachers' self-esteem and stress, making quality educational activities difficult, and infringes on students' right to education, creating a vicious cycle that ultimately lowers the overall trust in education.” He added, “I hope this amendment will restore the deteriorating teachers' authority, create an educational environment where both students and teachers are happy, and further lead to innovation and advancement in Gwangju education.”

Meanwhile, this full revision is scheduled to be officially implemented after passing the plenary session of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council on the 2nd of next month.

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