Cases of school violence in Seoul’s elementary, middle, and high schools will no longer be handled by teachers but by specialized ‘school violence investigators’. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – Starting from the new school year, cases of school violence in Seoul’s elementary, middle, and high schools will no longer be handled by teachers but by specialized ‘school violence investigators’.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that from March 2, when incidents of school violence are reported, these dedicated investigators will visit schools to conduct inquiries.
Previously, teachers tasked with handling school violence cases often faced negative repercussions, including malicious complaints from parents and infringement of their professional rights, prompting calls for a separation of duties.
In response, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and the National Police Agency announced in December last year the introduction of this specialized investigator system to address these concerns.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to appoint retired teachers with experience in school violence issues, student guidance, those with teaching credentials, retired police officers, youth experts, and individuals with investigative experience to these roles.
Recruitment for investigators will start on January 29 through the websites of education support offices, aiming to appoint approximately 330 individuals. These investigators will be distributed across 11 education support offices in Seoul, with each office hosting between 15 and 40 investigators.
The role of these investigators includes reviewing reports of school violence incidents, visiting schools to conduct investigations, drafting investigation reports, and participating in case meetings and review committees.
Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, expressed hope that the introduction of the school violence investigator system would alleviate teachers’ workload and help restore educational effectiveness in schools.
However, he also acknowledged potential issues due to the rapid implementation just two months after the Ministry of Education’s announcement and committed to minimizing any adverse effects.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
