Education Minister Lee Ju-ho (L) speaks during a news conference to announce measures to better safeguard teachers’ rights at the government building in Seoul on Aug. 23, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The education ministry unveiled a plan Wednesday to introduce a new collective school grievance response system, seeking to protect teachers from abusive complaints by parents.
The government will also enhance schools’ authority to address violations of teachers’ rights and educational activities by students and parents.
The ministry announced these and other measures amid growing calls for better protection of teachers’ rights in the wake of the suicide of a 24-year-old teacher last month.
The teacher at an elementary school in southern Seoul took her own life on July 18, allegedly after facing difficulties in dealing with parents over a school violence case.
The ministry said it will initiate a pilot of the new complaint response system in the second semester and fully implement it starting next year.
Under the policy, each school will establish a team consisting of about five teachers, led by the principal, to address complaints institutionally.
An integrated complaint team will also be organized at local education authorities to handle complaints that are too challenging to address at individual schools.
Parents will be prohibited from directly contacting teachers with complaints and instead will need to communicate through the designated teams.
To better safeguard educators from indiscriminate child abuse reports, the ministry also plans to advocate for amendments to the law to distinguish legitimate teacher guidance from child abuse crimes.
It will also seek to make it mandatory for law enforcement to consult local education authorities before investigating teachers on such charges.
In addition, the ministry will revise laws to require educational superintendents to take disciplinary measures against school principals who conceal or downplay incidents involving violations of teachers’ rights and educational activities.
Furthermore, the ministry will seek revisions to relevant laws to hold students and parents accountable for infringing on teachers’ rights.
Under the plan, cases of serious violations by students will be recorded in the students’ school records, potentially affecting their university admission prospects.
Parents involved in interfering with educational activities will be required to issue written apologies and prevention pledges, and undergo special education, or face fines of up to 3 million won (US$2,240).
(Yonhap)
