On-Site Internship Semester System Specifies Salary and Education Standards... Strengthening Relief for Disciplined Teachers

At Least 75% of Minimum Wage Must Be Paid as Internship Support Fee
Mandatory Industrial Accident Insurance for Interns... 10-25% of Training Time Must Be Allocated
If Changes to Teacher Penalties Are Not Reflected, Remedial Orders and Enforcement Fines Will Be Imposed

On the 21st, when the revised social distancing measures to be implemented from July were announced, students at Dongyang Mirae University in Guro-gu, Seoul, who were taking their final exams, were preparing for their tests. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The government has specified the payment standards for wages and education hours for university students participating in the on-site internship semester system. University students participating in the standard on-site internship semester system will be able to receive at least 75% of the minimum wage as internship pay.

On the 28th, the Ministry of Education announced the "Educational System Changes Starting in the Second Half of the Year." The autonomous on-site internship semester system is, in principle, paid, but unpaid operation is allowed in a limited manner if strict conditions are met. The on-site internship semester system is an industry-academia cooperation curriculum operated by universities and companies or institutions. Since wage levels vary depending on the supervising ministry or company, standards have been established.

Along with this, from the second half of the year, the Ministry of Education has made it mandatory to enroll on-site interns in industrial accident insurance to protect them. In the case of the standard on-site internship semester system, 10-25% of the total internship hours must be allocated to education hours. Education hours include pre-education, mid-term inspections, and guidance, and during the internship, accident and disaster prevention education as well as sexual harassment prevention education are conducted. Inappropriate internships may be subject to correction requests, suspension of the internship, or reinstatement measures. In the event of disasters such as COVID-19, protective measures such as alternative courses will be implemented, and under certain conditions, up to one-quarter of the internship hours may be allowed as remote on-site internships.

Furthermore, relief for teachers who have received unreasonable disciplinary actions or punishments will be strengthened. If a private school does not take action after a decision such as cancellation or modification by the Teacher Appeal Review Committee, the competent education office can take action through a "relief order." If the relief order is not complied with, a compulsory execution fine of up to 20 million KRW may be imposed. If the fine is imposed and still not complied with, imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW may be imposed. This will apply from decisions made by the Teacher Appeal Review Committee after September 24.

Universities must establish and implement safety management plans by the end of February every year, post the safety management plans on their internet homepage, and submit them to the Minister of Education. From July, the education facility safety certification system and education facility safety evaluation system will also be implemented in schools, kindergartens, training centers, and universities. The safety certification system, which evaluates three areas?facility safety, indoor environment safety, and external environment safety?will be operated from September after designating specialized institutions.

If the use of national property acquired by national universities with their own funds is abolished, the Minister of Education can manage and dispose of it with the designation of the Minister of Economy and Finance. This will apply from cases where the use is abolished after September 24, and the proceeds from disposal can be credited to the university's accounting revenue.

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