Kyochong: "School Vlogs Are a Communication Channel with Students... Guidelines Needed Instead of Ban"

In an elementary school in Seoul, in-person and remote classes are being conducted simultaneously.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) issued a press release on the 23rd regarding the recent Blue House petition calling for a ban on teachers filming school vlogs, stating that "school vlogs should not be banned unconditionally, but their educational purpose should be preserved and reasonable guidelines should be established."

Earlier, on the 19th, a Blue House petition was posted requesting a ban on teachers filming vlogs, citing concerns over student personal information leakage. The petitioner argued that students' personal information is exposed without consent in teachers' vlogs and that inappropriate language subtitles appear, requesting restrictions on teachers' vlog filming.

In response, the KFTA stated in the press release that "inappropriate school vlogs by some teachers must be corrected," while also noting the positive functions of teachers' school vlogs. The KFTA said, "School vlogs serve as a channel for friendly communication with students, especially in the current untact (contactless) environment, enhancing teacher-student rapport." Additionally, through vlogs, teachers can share information about their teaching careers with colleagues and prospective teachers, reflect on their lessons and work performance, and develop professionalism.

They added, "Since school vlogs have positive aspects, rather than banning them, it is necessary to preserve their educational intent and establish guidelines to strictly adhere to prior consent procedures and personal information protection." They further stated, "Therefore, instead of an outright ban, reasonable guidelines should be prepared regarding the purpose, content, and procedures of production, and production activities should be guided to occur within that scope."

The KFTA also urged, "Filming and editing should not interfere with educational activities, and when students appear, consent must be obtained not only from the students but also from their parents, ensuring that personal information such as faces and names is not exposed."

Furthermore, they emphasized that teachers must follow procedures such as obtaining prior approval from the school principal for filming vlogs, pointing out that "since filming takes place during working hours, it cannot be merely a personal hobby or entertainment video that gains no sympathy from anyone, and attention must be paid to inappropriate language subtitles, behavior, and ideological or political bias in expressions and content."

In principle, teachers are prohibited from holding concurrent jobs, but according to the "Guidelines for Teachers' YouTube Activities" prepared by the Ministry of Education in 2019, operating a YouTube channel is allowed.

The guidelines state that the Ministry of Education's basic policy is to encourage educational YouTube activities with a public interest nature, and YouTube activities related to hobbies, leisure, and self-development in the private life domain are not subject to regulation.

However, if the channel reaches the minimum requirements for advertising revenue generation, such as 1,000 subscribers, approval for concurrent duties from the school principal must be obtained, and acts that damage the dignity of teachers are prohibited.

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