On the afternoon of the 4th, on the road in front of the National Assembly building on the subway in Seoul, attendees lay a wreath of carnations prior to the start of the ‘Public Education Cessation Day’ event held to commemorate the 49th anniversary of teacher Seo I-cho. Reporter Shin So-young viator@hani.co.kr
The Ministry of Education announced that it would not discipline teachers who participated in the memorial action of an elementary school teacher in Seocho-gu, Seoul, by taking annual leave and sick leave on the’Public Education Cessation Day’. Lee Joo-ho, Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Education, held an annual meeting with the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Organizations (KTU) and the Federation of Teachers’ Union (Teachers’ Union) at the Government Complex Seoul on the 5th. “I think there was a sense of urgency that I couldn’t think of any other choice for this,” he said. “We will ensure that teachers who participated in this commemoration will not be disadvantaged in terms of status, and there will be no disciplinary action by the education authorities.” Deputy Prime Minister Lee said at a plenary meeting of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts of the National Assembly the night before, “We will not consider disciplinary actions against teachers who participated in the memorial service.” In the meantime, the Ministry of Education has taken a tough stance, citing the possibility of disciplinary action against teachers who engage in collective action. It was the Ministry of Education’s position that teachers taking annual leave or sick leave for collective action, or temporarily closing schools are all violations of the law, and discipline up to dismissal or dismissal and criminal charges are possible. An official from the Ministry of Education said that “the principles of the Ministry of Education have not changed” regarding the disciplinary policy until the morning of the previous day, the day of the suspension of public education. The reason for the withdrawal of this position seems to be that teachers gathered in large numbers despite the warning from the Ministry of Education, and the atmosphere of commemoration was heightened nationwide, as well as the growing public opinion against the government’s hard-line response policy, such as disciplinary actions. It is interpreted that the policy of the President’s Office that “flexibility can be exercised in the application of the law” also had an impact. Regarding the possibility of disciplinary action against teachers who attended the ‘Public Education Stop Day’ rally, a key official in the President’s office said on the 4th, “The Ministry of Education in charge of education will be able to examine the relevant laws.” see,” he said. Teachers’ organizations welcomed the Ministry of Education’s intention to withdraw disciplinary action by releasing a statement. The National Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) said, “The withdrawal of disciplinary action by the Ministry of Education is a matter of course,” and “Minister Lee Joo-ho should stop threatening teachers and listen to the voices of the field.” The Federation of Korean Teachers’ Associations (Teachers’ Federation) said, “It was a decision that accepted the fervor of commemoration and earnest shouts from the field,” and emphasized, “Now, the National Assembly and the government are pursuing legislation to protect teacher rights, improvement of the system, and follow-up measures.” Reporter Kim Min-je summer@hani.co.kr
2023-09-05 06:46:54
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