Gyeonggi Education Superintendent Ahn Minseok: "Teachers' rights protection must be backed by law"... Urges National Assembly to revise three laws

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education supported 170 cases in first 60 days of teachers' rights protection officers' launch
On-site response found to have limits... Office seeks to establish Teachers' Rights Protection Bureau in 2027
Legislative forum to be held at National Assembly on November 6

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has called on the National Assembly to revise three laws protecting teachers’ rights to safeguard educators’ legitimate teaching activities.

An Minseok, superintendent of education of Gyeonggi Province, speaks at a press conference marking 60 days since the launch of the Teacher Rights Protection Team at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 22nd. Provided by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, led by Superintendent Ahn Minseok, held a press conference on October 22 at the National Assembly Communication Center to mark 60 days since the launch of its dedicated teachers’ rights protection officers. It called for legal and institutional improvements, saying that on-site support alone has limits in addressing violations of teachers’ rights.

Attendees included National Assembly member Baek Seung-a, Superintendent Ahn Minseok, officials from the Teachers’ Rights Protection Group, and representatives of teachers’ organizations and labor unions.

On August 22, the provincial office appointed 300 dedicated teachers’ rights protection officers, the first such initiative in the country, and began providing on-site support. By October 8, it had received 170 cases in total, including 81 involving violations of educational activities, 39 in which educators had been reported for child abuse, and 50 involving malicious complaints and other issues.

The Teachers’ Rights Protection Group provides legal, administrative, and psychological support to educators who have suffered harm, from school visits through follow-up care. It also joined teachers’ organizations in submitting petitions signed by about 5,000 people to the court on behalf of three educators facing damages lawsuits.

However, the provincial office concluded that fundamental institutional reforms are needed to reduce the burden educators face during reporting, investigation, and litigation.

It therefore proposed revisions to three laws: the Child Welfare Act, the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes, and the Act on the Status of Teachers.

The key proposals include clarifying the standards for determining legitimate educational activities and emotional child abuse; closing cases with no suspicion at the police stage; ensuring that education superintendents’ opinions are more fully considered in investigations; establishing grounds for filing complaints over malicious false reports; and expanding support for educators’ legal costs.

The provincial office plans to hold a legislative forum at the National Assembly on November 6 to discuss specific proposals for revising the laws. It is also pursuing an organizational restructuring with the goal of establishing a Teachers’ Rights Protection Bureau on March 1, 2027.

Superintendent Ahn Minseok said, “The education office can stand by teachers, but laws and institutions must support them if we are to protect them on an ongoing basis. Teachers’ rights must be secured first in order to protect children’s human rights and right to learn.”

He added, “The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education will take the first steps, so I ask the National Assembly to respond with legislation.”

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