Presidential Office: "Some Teachers Oppose and Distort Neulbom School... Legal Review Underway"

Sangyun Jang, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs, "Helps Address Low Birthrate"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office stated on the 22nd, "Opposing the introduction of Neulbom School and distorting the facts does not help our children in any way and is not desirable behavior for educators."

Jang Sang-yoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs at the Presidential Office, said during a briefing on the status of Neulbom School operations that morning, "Despite efforts and support from the government, private sector, and society as a whole, there are some teachers' unions opposing the introduction of Neulbom School and distorting the facts." He pointed out that while areas needing improvement in Neulbom School can be addressed and the program can be promoted, some teachers' unions opposing its introduction are causing difficulties in some regions such as Seoul.

Senior Secretary Jang criticized, "In January, during the winter break preparation for Neulbom, the teachers' union in Seoul sent official letters to schools requesting that Neulbom-related documents not be accepted." He added, "At the beginning of the semester, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (JeonGyoJo) separately conducted a survey targeting teachers, and it was understood that they attempted to create negative public opinion by sending a biased Neulbom survey only to teachers through Google Forms."

Jang emphasized, "Of course, most teachers are actively cooperating with Neulbom School and many are voluntarily participating," adding, "We will do our best to ensure success by quickly identifying issues on-site through all possible means such as call centers, field visits, and parent monitoring groups, and by providing necessary policy support and financial investment."

However, regarding some reports that the government views the Seoul teachers' union's actions as potentially 'obstructing work' and has begun legal review, a Presidential Office official said, "The Ministry of Education is reviewing the matter," and added, "Since there are movements opposing Neulbom School at some schools and efforts to discover additional Neulbom Schools in Seoul, no complaints or follow-up legal actions have been taken yet, as far as we know."

The official explained about the shortage of instructors due to the expansion of Neulbom School, "We plan to secure a sufficient pool over approximately three years," and added, "This will only be possible with significant cooperation from community resources."

When asked whether the expansion of Neulbom School is expected to help address low birth rates, the official said, "One of the biggest challenges of low birth rates is expanding systems that allow work and family life to coexist so that people can raise children while continuing economic activities," and added, "If a solid Neulbom School program is implemented, it will help prevent career interruptions and create an environment where people can continue working, so it is naturally expected to greatly contribute to addressing low birth rates."

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