Yoon "Enact Notification to Protect Teaching Authority"... Two Weeks After Teacher's Death at Seoi Elementary School

Yoon Emphasizes Teachers' Authority in Cabinet Meeting Remarks
No Student Rights or Learning Rights Without Teachers' Authority
Neglecting Students Who Violate Rules Is Neglecting Illegal Acts

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 1st, "Neglecting students who violate rules under the pretext of student rights is no different from neglecting illegal acts that disrupt social order under the pretext of human rights," and instructed the establishment of a public notice to protect teachers' authority to be applied from the second semester of this year. This comes two weeks after a teacher from Seo-i Elementary School in Seocho-dong, Seoul, passed away.

During the Cabinet meeting presided over at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning, President Yoon said, "I hope the Ministry of Education immediately establishes a public notice to be applied in schools starting from the second semester of this year."

In response to opposition parties' backlash against the government's moves to strengthen teachers' authority and revise the Student Rights Ordinance, he argued that excessive emphasis on protecting student rights has led to the disregard not only of the teaching rights of education officials but also the rights of other students.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon pointed out, "If law enforcement to maintain rules and order is blocked under the name of protecting human rights, it actually infringes on the rights of the people," adding, "Similarly, if teachers' authority is not established in the educational field, students' rights become an empty talk."

He continued, "Teachers' authority means ensuring that school rules are properly followed, and without it, the rights and learning rights of other students cannot be guaranteed," adding, "Neglecting students who violate rules under the pretext of student rights is no different from neglecting illegal acts that disrupt social order under the pretext of human rights."

President Yoon made it clear that strengthening teachers' authority is a government national agenda. He said, "I emphasized the establishment of teachers' authority during the presidential election process, adopted it as a national agenda, and completed the revision of related laws by the end of June," urging, "Please promptly discuss teachers' authority-related bills such as the 'Child Abuse Punishment Act' and the 'Teacher Status Act' currently pending in the National Assembly."

He also stressed to the Ministry of Education, "Despite the heatwave last weekend, tens of thousands of teachers gathered in Gwanghwamun to call for the establishment of teachers' authority, and their voices must be deeply remembered."

After a Seo-i Elementary School teacher took their own life on the 18th of last month, and reports of teachers being assaulted by students or sued by parents increased, President Yoon directly ordered the strengthening of teachers' authority on the 24th of last month.

At that time, President Yoon said, "Since the revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and its enforcement decree, adopted and promoted as a national agenda to strengthen teachers' authority by our government, has recently been completed, promptly prepare the Ministry of Education's public notice as a concrete guideline for the field," and ordered, "In consultation with political parties and local governments, also proceed with revising unreasonable local ordinances that infringe on teachers' authority."

In response, the Ministry of Education has decided to prepare a comprehensive plan to protect teachers' authority by this month. In particular, they plan to release a protection manual for educational activities not only for elementary, middle, and high school teachers but also for special education teachers and kindergarten teachers.

Recently, webtoon artist Joo Ho-min (41) reported a special education teacher for emotionally abusing his son with autistic tendencies, which became a hot topic, leading the Ministry of Education to accept the call to protect the educational activities of special education and kindergarten teachers as well.

Ko Young-jong, the Ministry of Education's Chief Education Support Officer, said at a regular press briefing on the 31st, "There is a clear demand to reflect the cases where special education teachers and kindergarten teachers also suffer infringements on their educational activities," forecasting the strengthening of their teachers' authority.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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