Jeongyojo Gyeongnam Branch Opposes Government: "Teacher Quotas Must Be Secured"

As the government announced its plan to reduce the number of teachers in response to the declining school-age population, the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) has opposed the move.

On the 18th, the KTU Gyeongnam branch held a press conference at the Gyeongnam Office of Education, stating, “To implement the high school credit system, which offers classes in units smaller than a class to expand individual students' choices, more teachers are needed,” and added, “Teacher quotas must be secured to ensure that all students in Gyeongnam receive high-quality education.”

The Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union is holding a press conference opposing the government's reduction of teacher quotas.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

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They claimed, “This year, the teacher quota was reduced by about 3,000 nationwide, including 51 in elementary and 41 in secondary schools in Gyeongnam, totaling 92,” and continued, “Although the number of students and classes temporarily increased due to the establishment of new high schools and the high school enrollment of the 2007 Golden Pig Year students, the number of teachers has actually decreased.”

They further explained, “In Gyeongnam’s middle and high schools this year, about 710 teachers were not replaced through new hires despite vacancies caused by honorary retirements or promotions, and the number of contract teachers assigned outside the quota to kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools to fill the annually insufficient teacher quota reached 849 in Gyeongnam alone this year.”

The union stated, “Schools need more teachers,” and demanded the following: ▲ Setting a standard of 20 students per class (14 for kindergarten) ▲ Establishing teacher quota allocation standards that consider the conditions of cities, urban-rural complex areas, and farming and fishing villages by province ▲ Drastically reducing the number of unassigned contract teachers and contract teachers outside the quota ▲ Expanding new teacher recruitment ▲ Preparing measures to reduce disparities in teacher allocation standards per class by city and county ▲ Implementing policies to disperse students in overcrowded schools.

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