"Yubotonghap, Must Undergo Sufficient Opinion Gathering" Voices of Opposition from the Education Sector

Teacher Organizations and Unions: "6 Days Insufficient to Gather Field Opinions"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Teacher organizations and teacher unions have criticized the Ministry of Education's progress on the integration of early childhood education and care management systems (Yubo Integration), claiming that related opinion gathering is being conducted hastily.

On the 3rd, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo) held a press conference in front of the Ministry of Education building in Sejong City, stating, "The starting point of Yubo Integration is to eliminate inequality that begins from birth," but criticized, "However, the subject and object have been reversed, and 'Yubo Integration' itself has become the goal."

Jeon-gyo-jo urged the Ministry of Education to listen to the opinions of field teachers and first address various tasks such as △changing the kindergarten name to 'Yua School' △applying a maximum of 14 children per class and expanding the number of teachers △expanding public kindergartens △incorporating private kindergartens into corporations △guaranteeing the right to choose schooling for compulsory education candidates △strengthening kindergarten care.

The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (Kyotong) also stated, "Since Yubo Integration is a crucial issue in establishing foundational education, sufficient opinion gathering from teacher organizations, academic societies, and parents is necessary regarding the installation and operation of the promotion team," and claimed, "Setting a notice period of less than a week at the end of the year is a unilateral move to forcibly establish the promotion committee and team."

Earlier, on December 29 last year, the Ministry of Education issued an administrative notice on the 'Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of the Early Childhood Education and Care Integration Promotion Committee and Promotion Team' and planned to collect field opinions for six days until January 3.

The new regulation includes the Ministry of Education forming a Yubo Integration Promotion Committee chaired by the Minister of Education and establishing a promotion team within the Ministry of Education, led by a public official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, to carry out practical work.

Kyotong pointed out, "The purpose of Yubo Integration is to eliminate educational disparities and establish a Yua School system according to the Framework Act on Education," and added, "Since the executing agency is unified under the Ministry of Education, the head of the promotion team should be a Ministry of Education official, not from the Ministry of Health and Welfare."

The Federation of Teachers' Unions (Gyosa Nojo) also stated in a press release, "In fact, the four-day opinion gathering contradicts the Minister of Education's statement about listening to field opinions and is a hasty push," and requested, "Since Yubo Integration involves many related institutions and issues such as finances and personnel to be resolved, please proceed cautiously."

The National Public Kindergarten Teachers' Union also said, "The promise to actively gather field opinions has turned into 'notification' and 'non-communication,'" urging, "Extend the opinion gathering period and listen to field opinions additionally through public hearings."

In response, a Ministry of Education official explained, "Usually, opinion gathering on revisions to directives or regulations is conducted over about ten days, but since the organizational restructuring was planned at the beginning of the year, it coincided with winter vacation," adding, "The promotion team is responsible for preparing meetings and submitting agendas, and related ministries such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Office for Government Policy Coordination will participate evenly."

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