President Lee: "Teachers' Authority and Students' Rights Are Not a Zero-Sum Relationship... Solutions Needed to Protect Teachers' Authority"

Presiding Over Cabinet Meeting... "Normalization of Public Education Begins with Protecting Teachers' Rights"
"Avoiding Picnics and Field Trips Due to Safety Liabilities... We Must Not Get Rid of Every Jar for Fear It Might Breed Maggots"

President Lee Jae-myung stated that teachers' authority and students' rights are not in a 'zero-sum' relationship, and urged for the establishment of practical measures to protect teachers' authority, as well as solutions to stabilize the educational environment.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet Meeting and Emergency Economic Inspection Meeting held at the Blue House on the 28th. Photo by Yonhap News.

On April 28, President Lee presided over the Cabinet Meeting and Emergency Economic Inspection Meeting at the Blue House, where he remarked, "Recently, there have been a series of incidents that seriously infringe upon the human rights and educational activities of teachers." He continued, "The normalization of public education begins with protecting the rights and authority of teachers, who, along with students, are main stakeholders in education." He added, "It is essential to reduce excessive administrative work and prioritize creating an environment where teachers can focus on classes and student guidance."

In addition, President Lee pointed out that, at the school level, there has recently been a trend of not organizing picnics or school trips. He said, "Picnics and school trips are also part of the curriculum, and there are valuable lessons to be learned through group activities. However, there is a tendency to avoid them due to concerns about potential safety accidents and the burden of responsibility for management." He added, "Not all of my own school memories were positive, but my class trip to Gyeongju in fifth grade remains a lifelong memory, and I learned a lot through that experience. We should not eliminate opportunities just because we are afraid of potential problems."

He further stated, "Aren't we depriving students of valuable opportunities simply to avoid taking responsibility? If there are problems with group activities such as picnics or school trips, we should correct them. If safety is a concern, we can support additional costs to hire more safety personnel or recruit additional staff to handle supervision and safety. We can also ask for citizens' cooperation by recruiting volunteer helpers."

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