An Minseok: "Field Trips, School Excursions, and Experiential Learning Are Part of the Curriculum... The Structure That Shifts Responsibility onto Teachers Must Be Improved"

On the 28th, An Minseok, the unified candidate for the Democratic and Progressive parties for Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education, stated on his Facebook, "Field trips, school excursions, and experiential learning are precious," adding, "I will improve the system that shifts accident responsibility onto teachers."

An Minseok, the unified candidate for the Democratic and Progressive parties in the Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education election, stated on his Facebook on the 28th, "Picnics, school trips, and experiential learning are precious," adding, "I will work to improve the system that shifts accident responsibility onto teachers." Provided by An Minseok, the unified candidate

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On the same day, candidate An reiterated this message on his Facebook page, and in response to President Lee Jaemyung's remarks earlier that day addressing concerns over the decline of school excursions and experiential learning and calling for countermeasures, he expressed his agreement, stating that "these concerns are closely connected to the realities in the field."

He went on to point out, "Recently, due to a combination of safety concerns, administrative burdens, and an excessive responsibility structure in schools, there has been a noticeable decline in school excursions and experiential learning programs," adding, "This is an undesirable trend that limits students' opportunities to learn."

He further emphasized, "Experiential learning is not simply an event, but an extension of education where students learn about community and society," stressing that "reducing these opportunities is no different from cutting back on vital educational processes essential for student development."

He also noted, "Currently, the structure that places excessive legal and administrative responsibility for safety accidents on individual teachers continues to persist," explaining, "The reality that teachers could even face criminal liability in the event of an accident is a fundamental structural issue that must be addressed."

He added, "It is necessary to fundamentally improve the work structure so that, along with measures such as deploying safety personnel and expanding financial support, related administrative work is not shifted back onto teachers," and stated, "Creating an environment where teachers can fully focus on instruction and student guidance is the starting point to restoring public education."

An Minseok declared, "Student safety, learning, and teachers' rights are never values in conflict," and pledged, "I will normalize experiential learning through practical policies that reflect the voices of those in the field."

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