Korea Teachers Federation: "Even with 'Civil Complaint Reservation System,' Teachers Provide Consultations... Practical Measures Needed"

'Announcement of 5 Major Educational Authority Policies and 30 Key Tasks'
'Criticism of Education Authorities' Response to the Seoicho Incident'
'Measures to Control Problematic Behavior' Should Be Included in the Official Notice

"If the school alone must take full responsibility, it cannot be a solution."

The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), the largest teachers' organization and union, has called for the establishment of a 'Student Guidance Act' that would allow immediate intervention in students' problematic behavior to protect teachers' authority. They demand that the Ministry of Education's official notice include provisions enabling orders for students to leave the classroom or move to designated school spaces. They also emphasized the need for legal amendments to include teacher immunity from indiscriminate child abuse reports and measures such as recording student offenders of teacher authority violations in their student records.

On the morning of the 3rd, Jeong Seong-guk, president of the KFTA, held an urgent press conference titled 'On-site Demands for Guaranteeing Educational Rights' in Jung-gu, Seoul, presenting the 'Five Major Policies and Thirty Key Tasks for Teacher Authority.' Jeong stated, "It is time for the government, National Assembly, and society to respond to the desperate cries of teachers filling the streets of Gwanghwamun," urging, "Everyone must work together for the immediate realization of the Five Major Policies and Thirty Key Tasks for Teacher Authority."

The KFTA demanded the practical establishment of guidance and disciplinary measures that can be immediately implemented in response to disruptive behavior during class. Jeong said, "According to a recent KFTA survey, 99% of teachers answered that it is impossible to restrain students' problematic behavior," adding, "Can awake lessons and protection of students' right to learn be possible in such classrooms?" To address this, they called for the Ministry of Education to issue official guidelines including practical measures such as classroom removal, relocation to separate spaces, and assigning reflection essays for disruptive behavior.

They also called for the passage of the 'Teacher Status Act Amendment' (Special Act for the Improvement of Teacher Status), which includes recording teacher authority violations in student records and transferring school teacher authority protection committees to regional education offices.

Furthermore, they urged the establishment of laws and systems to protect students' right to learn and teachers' authority from indiscriminate child abuse reports. They emphasized the need to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Child Abuse Punishment Act, and Education Officials Act. This includes granting immunity from child abuse accusations for legitimate student guidance (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) and establishing criteria for teacher suspension by presidential decree (Education Officials Act, Teacher Status Act). They also proposed that no replacement appointment be made for suspended teachers until a final legal decision is reached.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

They stressed the need to prevent malicious complaints and false child abuse reports through amendments to the School Violence Prevention Act, which includes teacher immunity regarding school violence duties. Additionally, they called for amendments to the Early Childhood Education Act to include immunity for kindergarten teachers reporting child abuse.

They also argued for a comprehensive review of the Student Human Rights Ordinance. Jeong said, "The Student Human Rights Ordinance, which excessively emphasizes rights, is one of the main causes of the decline in teacher authority," emphasizing, "A full review and reorganization are necessary to balance rights and duties." He further urged, "Excessive and non-essential administrative tasks for teachers must be abolished immediately, and the teacher evaluation system, which has degenerated into assessments of insults and sexual harassment, must be completely reformed."

Jeong appealed to President Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "Please take government-wide measures so that teachers no longer have to endure alone just because they are teachers, and so they do not have to gather in heated public squares to shout." He also called on the National Assembly, "Please engage in bipartisan cooperation beyond political factions," and stated, "The KFTA will not stop its full-scale activities until the Five Major Policies and Thirty Key Tasks for Teacher Authority are realized on behalf of teachers."

According to a survey conducted by the KFTA on the 25th and 26th of last month and recent reports of teacher authority violations received through their website, 11,627 cases of teacher authority violations by students and parents were reported. Cases of teacher authority violations by parents (8,344 cases) were more than twice those by students (3,284 cases). Among parents' violations, child abuse reports, threats, or malicious complaints accounted for 6,720 cases (57.8%), the highest proportion, followed by verbal abuse and insults at 1,346 cases (16.1%).

The KFTA criticized recent measures announced by the Ministry of Education and education offices. Jeong said, "It is good to come up with measures, but we must be cautious about those that are improvised," and criticized, "The measures announced by the education offices create a structure where teachers inevitably have to conduct counseling," adding, "Even if a reservation system and space are provided, the existing environment remains unchanged." He proposed, "It would be better for the support office to handle the procedural parts. If the education office filters complaints before passing them on to teachers, schools would only receive necessary complaints."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the press conference, Yeo Nan-sil, vice president of the KFTA and principal of Myeongdong Middle School, said, "(Students') verbal abuse, prejudiced language, physical fights regardless of gender, and mockery of friends they consider weak. Teachers had to guide students day and night during class, lunch breaks, and after school because of this." She lamented, "Complaints about teachers' guidance are conveyed to parents, who then call teachers saying they hate only their child. This is not just one or two cases."

She added, "The education office only issues guidelines to schools without considering school circumstances," and said, "We have to give up the music room for classrooms, but where should the comprehensive complaint office be installed?" She also expressed concern, "I worry they will say the vice principal and principal should handle it," adding, "Such measures are worse than having none."

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