Proposal of Seoul City Ordinance on Teacher Respect and Protection of Educational Activities

Seoul Metropolitan Council People Power Party Proposes ‘Ordinance for the Respect and Protection of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Teachers’ Educational Activities’

Enhances On-site Response by Specifying Initial Response and Protective Measures Such as Temporary Separation of Parties Involved in Educational Activity Violations and Affected Teachers

Strengthens Effectiveness of School Teachers’ Rights Protection Committee by Mandating Immediate Convening Requests and Incident Reporting Obligations for Principals

Comprehensively Includes Support Measures Necessary for Physical and Psychological Treatment of Affected Teachers, Including Regulations on Cost Burden for Using Professional Institutions Starting from the Teacher Healing Support Center

Regulates Principals to Manage Parents’ Complaints Online in an Integrated Manner and Take Appropriate Actions Such as Reporting to Investigative Agencies if Legal Violations Are Suspected

The People Power Party of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Representative Assemblyman Choi Ho-jeong) on the 27th proposed the 'Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Ordinance for the Respect and Protection of Public Officials’ Educational Activities (Assemblyman Jeong Ji-ung, photo)' as a party bill, which includes necessary administrative and financial measures to respect teachers and protect their educational activities.

The ordinance was prepared with a strong determination to improve the serious violations of teachers’ rights that have occurred in schools where student rights have been excessively emphasized for a long time, while awareness of teachers’ rights has been relatively insufficient.

Unlike six other metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide that have ordinances protecting teachers’ educational activities, Seoul currently lacks such an ordinance.

Last October, the Superintendent of Education Cho Hee-yeon submitted an ordinance on the protection of educational activities of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, but it was deferred in the Education Committee due to reasons such as overlapping content with the Student Rights Ordinance, increased complexity of the legal system, and potential restrictions on the rights of students and parents.

The ordinance first specifically stipulates ‘initial response’ and ‘protective measures’ as actions against violations of educational activities. It aims to enhance initial response capabilities through victim-centered on-site measures such as temporary separation of involved parties and affected teachers.

Additionally, the ordinance imposes an obligation on principals to immediately convene the School Teachers’ Rights Protection Committee and report incidents regardless of the affected teachers’ wishes. This measure was prepared to strengthen the committee’s effectiveness amid criticism that the committee’s function has become nominal due to principals ignoring requests from affected teachers and failing to convene the committee.

The ordinance seeks to comprehensively include support measures necessary for the physical and psychological treatment of affected teachers. It clearly stipulates support starting from the Teacher Healing Support Center designated and operated by the Superintendent of Education, including priority coverage of costs and recourse rights related to the use of professional psychological counseling institutions and medical institutions, so that affected teachers can receive treatment with peace of mind.

As a countermeasure against malicious complaints from parents, which have recently been reported in large numbers, the ordinance requires principals to manage complaints from students’ guardians or complainants online in an integrated manner and to take appropriate actions such as reporting to investigative agencies if there is a suspicion of legal violations such as insult or defamation.

Representative Assemblyman Choi Ho-jeong said, “I have felt very heavy-hearted seeing the recent extreme choices of elementary school teachers and the successive incidents of students assaulting teachers, and I feel that teachers’ rights have fallen to the lowest point,” adding, “It is the natural duty of the council to establish and support the necessary institutional grounds in response to the desperate voices of teachers calling for the restoration of the broken educational field and teachers’ rights.”

Assemblyman Jeong Ji-ung, who proposed the ordinance as the lead sponsor, said, “I hope this ordinance will become a practical support for teachers who silently protect classrooms and children despite experiencing excessive class disruptions and violations of educational activities,” and “I hope a school culture based on trust and cooperation will be established where teachers are respected and students’ rights are guaranteed through proper guidance and discipline.”

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