Gyeongnam Provincial Council Begins Administrative Audit of Provincial Office of Education... Condemns Sexual Misconduct Case

On the 10th, the Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education's main building administrative audit is being conducted in the meeting room of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council's Education Committee.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] The Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council's Education Committee began the 2021 administrative audit on the 10th, targeting the School Policy Bureau, Future Education Bureau, and affiliated institutions of the Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education headquarters.

Yoon Sung-mi, a member of the People Power Party (proportional representation), pointed out, "In 2020, there were 29 cases of sexual misconduct by elementary and secondary school teachers in Gyeongnam, ranking 4th nationwide. Considering the size of the teaching staff, the actual incident rate is effectively the highest in the country."

She added, "Of these, 24 cases, accounting for 82.8% of the total, involved students, but the Office of Education has only two related experts," and urged, "The Office of Education must actively recognize the problem and prepare stronger countermeasures."

Independent member Lee Byung-hee (Miryang 1) said, "Various student-related incidents, including school violence issues, can be sufficiently prevented through the education authorities' meticulous attention and support," and stated, "In particular, regarding ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), which is not a mental illness but a condition requiring treatment, the Office of Education should actively treat and manage many students on the borderline, which could drastically reduce related incidents."

Hwang Jae-eun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (proportional representation), pointed out, "The proportion of temporary teachers is generally increasing regardless of public or private schools, but comprehensive approaches and management are lacking, exposing many problems."

She continued, "Recently, there was an incident where a student suffered a serious injury requiring eight weeks of treatment due to a fight among students during creative experiential activity time when a temporary teacher was absent, yet the homeroom teacher was unaware of the incident," and urged, "Please prepare comprehensive management measures related to temporary teachers."

Yoo Gye-hyun, a member of the People Power Party (Jinju 3), also mentioned that the number of temporary teachers has increased annually, reaching about 3,000 in 2021, and requested, "Please pay attention to improving the quality of temporary teachers through better treatment and strengthening educational capabilities, considering subjects, regional demand, and excessive working periods."

Won Seong-il, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Changwon 5), said, "As non-face-to-face lifestyles increase due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, cyberbullying patterns are diversifying, so countermeasures seem necessary." He also requested, "Please ensure thorough preparation for the high school credit system, which is scheduled to be fully implemented in 2023."

Son Deok-sang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gimhae 6), regarding the 7-day operation of public libraries, stated, "This system conflicts with residents' convenience in using facilities and the labor welfare issues of public library staff, but I hope the problems found in the pilot operations at Masan and Gimhae Jihyeui Bada libraries will be well supplemented and ultimately expanded."

In addition, discussions were held on changes in cyberbullying patterns amid the trend of non-face-to-face education and conflicts between citizens and staff regarding the 7-day operation of public libraries.

The administrative audit of the Office of Education headquarters will continue until the 12th.

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