"Teacher Rights Violations Investigated Within One Hour"...Integrated Support System Launches 'Impenetrable Defense Network'

Establishment of a Dedicated 'Education Activities Protection Officer' Directly Under the Superintendent
Comprehensive 'One-Stop' Support for Incident Response, Legal Assistance, and Psychological Recovery

An integrated support system that covers the entire process from preventing disruptions to educational activities to responding to incidents and restoring the psychological and legal well-being of teachers will be established in Jeonnam Gwangju. In particular, when a serious violation of teachers' rights occurs, the Office of Education plans to guarantee educational rights by dispatching a field investigation team within one hour and directly overseeing the process.

The Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan Special City Office of Education announced on October 1 that it will create the 'Education Activities Protection Officer,' a dedicated organization directly under the superintendent, as a control tower, and gradually build a three-step integrated support system for teacher protection.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education in Jeonnam will establish a new dedicated organization directly under the Superintendent called the "Education Activity Protection Officer" as a control tower. Provided by the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education in Jeonnam

This initiative will proceed in three phases: the preparation phase (October to December 2026), the implementation phase (January to June 2027), and the advancement phase (July to December 2027), with the goal of increasing effectiveness throughout each stage. During the preparation phase, the 'Comprehensive Plan Promotion Task Force for Protecting Educational Activities' will be formed to establish a response model centered on rapid field dispatch.

To ensure prompt and effective responses, clear and specific dispatch rules have also been established. In cases involving serious violations of teachers' rights, dedicated staff will be dispatched to the scene and initiate investigations within one hour of receiving a report. For general child abuse allegations and malicious complaints, response teams will be dispatched and begin investigations within 24 hours.

Additionally, a designated official will provide a 'responsible and personalized support service' that includes incident investigation, legal counseling and support from dedicated legal professionals, personal protection, counseling and psychological therapy, and assistance in returning to educational work. When teachers are accused of child abuse, a 'one-stop assurance service' will be activated, offering everything from submission of the superintendent's written opinion to psychological and legal counseling and support in litigation.

The 'Education Activities Protection Officer,' which will officially launch in March 2027, will consist of several units: a field support team, a field response team, a teacher rights protection official, and education activities protection centers. The field support team will be responsible for policy development, fact-finding, and developing protection systems. The field response team will handle on-site responses to violations of teachers' rights, reported cases of child abuse, and malicious complaints, as well as provide prevention training.

The teacher rights protection official will ensure in-depth support by recruiting external experts in complaints, legal, and counseling work for on-site investigation and close consultation. The superintendent's office will be equipped with the 'On-Site Education Activities Protection Dashboard' for real-time status monitoring, and a professional committee for mediating conflicts, known as the 'Mediation and Reconciliation Group', will also be established.

To increase regional accessibility, individual 'Education Activities Protection Centers' providing 1-to-1 customized services will be separately set up in Eastern and Western Jeonnam. For the Gwangju area, the Education Activities Protection Officer will directly oversee related work.

The Office of Education will introduce an 'integrated management system' that collects and analyzes data on disruptions to educational activities and complaints, allowing for predictive management and advance identification of cases requiring support. A 'tailored support' package will also be provided, including expert consulting according to school circumstances, parent communications and complaint response protocol support, and hands-on training programs.

In addition, an AI-powered chatbot capable of providing 24-hour counseling will be developed to help prevent isolated suffering among affected teachers. Conflicts will be promptly mediated through the 'Educational Community Mediation and Reconciliation Group,' which will include teachers, experts, and lawyers. Programs offering medical, psychological counseling, and support for teachers' return to their duties will also be further expanded.

Meanwhile, on the first day of the integrated support system's launch—October 1—Superintendent Kim Daejoong visited Geunbyeol Elementary School, led an education activities protection campaign, and held a staff meeting. Superintendent Kim listened to feedback from the field and discussed the direction of policy implementation and announced plans for the superintendent and executive staff to visit school sites at least once a week to seek and implement practical support measures.

Superintendent Kim Daejoong emphasized, "An environment where teachers can teach with peace of mind is the fundamental basis for students' learning and growth," adding, "When disruptions to educational activities occur, the Office of Education will be on the ground, responding quickly and responsibly, and actively providing support from prevention to recovery, so that teachers do not have to handle the burden alone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.