Ministry of Education and KFTA Reach Negotiation Agreement... Establishment of Mid- to Long-Term Teacher Supply Plan to Alleviate Overcrowded Classes

Plan to Establish Mid- to Long-Term Teacher Supply Plan to Alleviate Overcrowded Classes
Change the Term 'Yuchiwon' to 'Yua Hakgyo' to Eliminate Japanese Colonial Residue
Increase in Teacher Allowances, Position Allowances, Homeroom Teacher Allowances, and Health Teacher Allowances

At the '2018-2019 Ministry of Education-Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations Main Negotiation and Consultation Committee Signing Ceremony,' Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, and Ha Yun-su, President of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, are taking a commemorative photo. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education and the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations have reached an agreement on collective bargaining and consultations for the first half of the year. They agreed on a mid- to long-term teacher supply plan to alleviate overcrowded classes and on expanding special education teachers and special classes.

On the 8th, the Ministry of Education and the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations announced that they had agreed on 35 items across 25 articles, including improving teachers' working conditions, enhancing welfare and treatment, establishing teachers' rights and strengthening professionalism, and improving the educational environment. Both parties have been conducting negotiations and consultations since 1992, and this is the 31st agreement.

To improve teachers' working conditions, both sides agreed to promote the preparation of a mid- to long-term teacher supply plan necessary to resolve overcrowded classes. To reduce teachers' school workload, they will also promote institutional improvements such as revitalizing school support centers and strengthening the school support functions of education offices.

To support educational activities for special education students, they agreed to expand the placement of special education assistants in special education institutions, increase the number of special education teachers, expand special classes, and increase the quotas for nutrition teachers and librarian teachers.

Regarding the improvement of the educational environment, they agreed to gradually change the name of 'Yuchiwon' (kindergarten), a remnant of Japanese colonial rule, to 'Yua Hakgyo' (early childhood school). To reduce the burden of after-school program operations, they will also promote the establishment of a pool of instructors within metropolitan and provincial offices of education. When promoting school facility improvement projects, efforts will be made to install necessary nursing facilities at each school for female teachers who have given birth.

They also agreed to jointly strive for improvements in treatment, including increases in teacher allowances, position allowances, homeroom teacher allowances, and health teacher allowances, the establishment of a new important duty allowance for vice principals, and the introduction of a risk work allowance for nutrition teachers. The current teacher competency development evaluation will be improved to support the enhancement of professionalism.

One of the negotiation topics was the revision of laws to provide a basis for assigning health teachers to kindergartens and the plan to assign up to two health teachers to schools above a certain size; however, the law was amended during the negotiations. With the revision of the Early Childhood Education Act and the School Health Act, the qualifications for health teachers assigned to kindergartens were specifically defined, and the School Health Act and its enforcement decree were amended to allow the placement of two or more health teachers in large schools with 36 or more classes.

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