Education Policy Proposal Requirements Eased in South Korea

The National Education Commission (NEC) is easing the requirements for collecting public opinions on education policies to better reflect citizens' voices.

During a cabinet meeting on June 23, the NEC announced that it has approved an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Education Commission Act, reducing the number of signatures required for public opinion collection from 100,000 to 50,000.

Critics have pointed out that the previous requirement was overly stringent, diminishing its effectiveness. Under the former decree, proposals submitted to the NEC's Public Opinion Platform needed to gather 100,000 signatures within 90 days to trigger an official collection and adjustment process. However, there had been no instances of meeting this legal threshold, prompting calls from lawmakers for a revision.

In response, the NEC has actively engaged with lawmakers and stakeholders in the education sector, conducting a legislative notice period from March 25 to May 4 to facilitate the amendment process.

The NEC is not only lowering the threshold but also enhancing the accessibility and convenience of the Public Opinion Platform to encourage meaningful public participation and strengthen the system.

With the new amendment, any proposal posted on the Public Opinion Platform will require 50,000 signatures within 90 days to meet the collection and adjustment criteria. Once this requirement is met, the NEC will review and decide on the procedure within 45 days. If the process is initiated, the NEC will gather extensive feedback through discussions and surveys with the Public Participation Committee to formulate a final adjustment plan to be communicated to relevant agencies.

This amendment will take effect immediately upon promulgation and will apply retroactively to ongoing public opinion collection processes.

NEC Chair Cha Jeong-in stated, "This amendment is a significant opportunity to expand the public's practical participation in educational issues. We will continue to communicate actively with the public to develop effective education policies that resonate with both citizens and the education sector."