Classroom Discipline Ordinance in Seoul Remains 'Quiet' Until Next Month Despite Urgent Poetry Deadline...

Education Office and City Council Unite for 'Teacher Rights Protection'
Procedural Temporary Session Discussion Possible Around Next Month

Amid growing attention to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's ordinance to protect teachers' rights following the recent Seoicho Elementary School incident in Seoul, related discussions are unlikely to take place until next month. Both ruling and opposition parties in the Seoul Metropolitan Council agree on the necessity but find it practically difficult to discuss the matter within this month due to procedural issues.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Council on the 2nd, Jeong Ji-ung, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council from the People Power Party, proposed the "Ordinance on the Treatment of Public Officials and Protection of Educational Activities of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education," which includes provisions to strengthen teachers' rights, on the 27th of last month.

This ordinance, proposed as a party policy, has a legislative intent similar to the "Ordinance on the Protection of Educational Activities of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education" proposed by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education last year. Both ordinances contain provisions necessary to create an environment that protects the educational activities of teachers under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Teachers gathered from all over the country attended the rally for the normalization of public education held near Gyeongbokgung Station intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 29th of last month, wearing black attire to commemorate the late homeroom teacher of Seoi Elementary School. Photo by Yonhap News

Jeong's ordinance goes a step further than the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's version. For example, while the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's ordinance includes provisions such as supporting litigation costs necessary for teachers to take legal action against violations of their rights, Jeong's ordinance mandates the formation and operation of a legal support team composed of lawyers and other legal experts to assist affected teachers.

Additionally, the ordinance requires the automatic establishment and operation of a School Teachers' Rights Protection Committee upon the occurrence of a violation of teachers' rights, regardless of the affected teacher's consent. It also stipulates that the guardian of the student who committed the violation must bear the costs of psychological counseling for the affected teacher and medical expenses at care institutions.

If the Seoul Metropolitan Council passes the teachers' rights protection ordinance, kindergartens and elementary and secondary schools in the Seoul area will be required to comply with the ordinance, similar to the Student Rights Ordinance. Ordinances can be legislated on all local matters that do not violate higher laws (Constitution, statutes, orders).

Regarding the Student Rights Ordinance, although bills to improve student rights were proposed in the National Assembly from 2006, mainly by progressive parties, all were discarded due to expiration of terms. Subsequently, Kim Sang-gon, who ran for Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education in 2009, proposed the Student Rights Ordinance, and after his election, the ordinance was passed in 2010. Currently, the Student Rights Ordinance is enforced only in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Gwangju, Jeollabuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

Although the ruling party's ordinance contains more expanded provisions than the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's version, and some consensus has been formed between the ruling and opposition parties, discussions for passing the ordinance are expected to take place around next month.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council accepts ordinance proposals until the 14th. From the 15th, the council speaker distributes the received ordinances to relevant standing committees, followed by a five-day legislative notice period, after which discussions occur during the council session.

The nearest Seoul Metropolitan Council session, the 320th extraordinary session, is scheduled for the 28th of this month. However, since city administration questions are scheduled for three days until the 31st, the Education Committee, which is the standing committee responsible for substantive discussions, will only be able to operate normally starting in September.

A member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Education Committee said, "No discussions between the ruling and opposition parties regarding the teachers' rights protection ordinance have taken place," adding, "Since it is difficult for council members to hold discussions during the non-session period, substantive discussions are expected to begin in September."

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, which previously proposed an ordinance, is currently reviewing and comparing it with the People Power Party's proposal. They plan to submit a revised draft by additionally reflecting the review opinions presented by the Seoul Metropolitan Council and field feedback.

The Secondary Education Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "We received the draft of Jeong's ordinance and are discussing it while comparing it with the ordinance proposed by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education," adding, "We will compare both ordinances and seek specific points of agreement to coordinate."

It remains uncertain which version will be adopted during the standing committee discussions following Jeong's formal proposal of the ordinance. The Secondary Education Division predicted, "The Education Committee will decide among three options: approving the ordinance proposed by us (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education), approving a revised ordinance through council members' negotiations, or rejecting our ordinance."

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