Ministry of Education Considers Establishing Department for the Protection of Teachers' Rights: "Supporting Implementation of Complaint Response System"

Follow-up Measures to the "Teachers' Rights Protection Plan" Announced in January
Unlike the Department in the Drama "True Education"
Support for the Entire School Community, Including Students, Parents, and Teachers

The Ministry of Education is considering establishing a new "Department for the Protection of Teachers' Rights" to support the implementation of the school complaint response system in the field and to protect educational activities at schools. However, unlike the Department of Teachers' Rights Protection depicted in the drama "True Education," which focuses on handling teachers' rights infringement cases and student corporal punishment or discipline, the new department is expected to focus on strengthening institutional reform and policy support functions.

According to the education sector on June 26, the Ministry of Education is reviewing a plan to set up a separate department dedicated to teachers' rights protection policies within the existing Office of Educational Autonomy Support.

An official from the Ministry of Education stated, "Rather than acting as a defense body centered on teachers' rights, the department will support all members of the school community—including students, parents, and teachers—and help restore the overall school community."

The Ministry of Education's spokesperson's office also announced in an official statement the previous day, "We are examining ways to strengthen organizational functions to support the effective implementation of the school complaint response system, ensure the effectiveness of policies for protecting educational activities, and promote healthy communication between schools and parents."

Following the popularity of the recent Netflix drama "True Education," there have been increasing calls for a separate organization dedicated to handling teachers' rights violations. However, the Ministry of Education explained that the key to protecting teachers' rights lies not in creating a new organization, but in ensuring that existing systems and policies are properly implemented at schools.

After the Seoi Elementary School incident, the Ministry of Education promoted educational activity protection policies, including the revision of the Five Teachers' Rights Laws. However, as cases of violence against teachers and even fatalities continued at schools, the ministry announced the "Plan to Strengthen Response to School Complaints and Protection of Educational Activities" in January this year.

The Ministry of Education announced the "Measures to Strengthen Response to School Complaints and Protection of Educational Activities" in January this year. Ministry of Education

The comprehensive plan includes: ▲ imposing administrative fines of up to 3 million won per instance, regardless of the number of offenses, when teachers' rights are infringed; ▲ strengthening principals' authority and support from local education offices in responding to malicious complaints; ▲ streamlining complaint handling channels; ▲ expanding the number of regional educational activity protection centers from 55 to 112 and increasing dedicated staff from 356 to 500; ▲ adding 750 dedicated complaint counseling rooms in schools; and ▲ extending the special "teacher mental care" leave by 10 days. The consideration of establishing the new Department for the Protection of Teachers' Rights is also part of these follow-up measures.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, "Since the announcement of the comprehensive plan in January, measures such as the legalization of the school complaint response support team have been implemented, but it is still necessary to continuously monitor and support the operation of other systems in the field. Regardless of the drama's popularity, the need for additional dedicated personnel has been raised for some time, and the establishment of the Department for the Protection of Teachers' Rights is being considered in this context."

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