Gyeongnam Office of Education to Resolve Teacher-Student Conflicts Through "Conflict Mediation Committee"

The Gyeongnam Office of Education announced on September 8 that it will establish and operate a "Conflict Mediation Committee" to resolve conflicts between teachers, students, and parents through educational means rather than criminal procedures.

On this day, the provincial office of education stated at a briefing room, "We have completely revised the existing regulations on the establishment and operation of the Student Protection Committee and will implement new regulations on the establishment and operation of the Conflict Mediation Committee to restore relationships within the educational community."

Jeon Changhyun, the Education Activity Protection Officer at the Gyeongnam Office of Education, is explaining about the Conflict Mediation Committee. Photo by Lee Seryeong

The Conflict Mediation Committee was created to resolve conflicts between teachers and students or guardians, which arise from teachers' words or actions during educational activities, through educational approaches.

It also aims to prevent the paralysis of school functions or escalation to legal proceedings caused by indiscriminate child abuse reports against teachers.

Last year in Gyeongnam, out of 88 cases where students reported teachers for child abuse, only one case led to prosecution.

The provincial office of education explained that although the actual prosecution rate is extremely low, it takes a long time for cases to be closed, and during the process, measures such as separating teachers and students and deploying substitute teachers disrupt educational operations, making it difficult for the parties to restore their relationship even after the case is resolved.

They also pointed out that there is no institutional mechanism for parties to resolve conflicts through educational methods, rather than through legal complaints, accusations, or judicial procedures.

Accordingly, the Conflict Mediation Committee will consist of nine members, including four internal members and five external members. When conflicts or civil complaints arise, the committee will identify the issue, conduct interviews with the parties involved, confirm participation in mediation by both sides, and facilitate principal-led mediation to restore relationships.

If principal-led mediation is not achieved, a conflict mediation expert will intervene to mediate, or the Conflict Mediation Committee will convene to deliberate and resolve the issue.

The provincial office of education plans to complete the recruitment of conflict mediation experts and the appointment of committee members within this month, as well as to produce and distribute operational guidelines, provide training for school and education office staff, and hold explanatory sessions for the educational community.

Afterward, around June next year, they plan to assess the effectiveness of the system through satisfaction surveys and monitoring.

Jeon Changhyun, the Education Activity Protection Officer, said, "With this revision of the regulations, we hope to spread a culture of respect, trust, and cooperation within the educational community, where both students' right to learn and teachers' authority are respected and protected."