Education officials from 16 provinces and cities across South Korea are urging legal and institutional reforms to protect teachers from the distress caused by indiscriminate child abuse reports. They proposed that 'legitimate educational activities should be exempt from child abuse reporting,' calling for amendments to vague current laws and the introduction of a non-prosecution system to expedite the resolution of cases deemed without merit.
The Korea Education Superintendents Association, led by President Jeong Geun-sik, the Superintendent of Seoul, held its 108th General Assembly on July 15 at the The May Hotel in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where they issued a statement calling for improvements in laws and systems to protect teachers' legitimate educational activities.
Approximately 200 attendees, including education superintendents and officials from education offices nationwide, participated in the assembly. Before discussing the main agenda, the association elected Kim Dae-jung (Gwangju Jeonnam), Yoon Geon-young (Chungbuk), and Lim Jong-sik (Gyeongbuk) as vice presidents, and Ko Ui-sook (Jeju) as auditor, completing the formation of the 11th executive committee for a two-year term. President Jeong Geun-sik had already been elected during a meeting in June.
In their statement, the association highlighted the seriousness of the decline in teachers' rights and demanded immediate action from the National Assembly and the government.
The association noted, "In schools, there are ongoing cases where legitimate educational activities and guidance by teachers are reported as child abuse. Particularly, the ambiguous criteria for 'emotional abuse' are causing a chilling effect on teachers' overall educational activities."
As a primary solution, they identified the urgent need to amend the Child Welfare Act and the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes. The association stated, "Legal standards must be clarified to ensure that legitimate educational activities and guidance are not subject to child abuse reports," emphasizing that concerns about weakening legal safety nets for child protection should not justify indiscriminate complaints and baseless reports from some parents.
Secondly, they argued for significant improvements in investigative procedures and systems to ensure the effectiveness of 'superintendent opinions.' The association urged that unnecessary investigations should be minimized for cases where superintendents have deemed the activities 'legitimate educational activities,' with a principle of resolution within one month.
They specifically called for reforms to prevent cases deemed 'without merit' by judicial police from being forwarded to prosecutors, criticizing the current situation where teachers suffer prolonged distress as suspects due to unnecessary prosecutions.
Finally, they proposed the establishment of a 'national dedicated agency' to take responsibility for and protect teachers' educational activities. This agency would oversee the establishment of nationwide common standards, preventive education, and surveys, while strengthening support systems linked to local areas.
President Jeong Geun-sik expressed hope that the assembly would serve as a meaningful opportunity to establish educational autonomy and gather wisdom to address pressing challenges in the education sector, stating, "I will strive for the 11th Education Superintendents Association to become a platform for cooperation and communication that brightens the future of education in South Korea."
The Korea Education Superintendents Association, led by President Jeong Geun-sik, the Superintendent of Seoul, held its 108th General Assembly on July 15 at the The May Hotel in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where they issued a statement calling for improvements in laws and systems to protect teachers' legitimate educational activities.
Approximately 200 attendees, including education superintendents and officials from education offices nationwide, participated in the assembly. Before discussing the main agenda, the association elected Kim Dae-jung (Gwangju Jeonnam), Yoon Geon-young (Chungbuk), and Lim Jong-sik (Gyeongbuk) as vice presidents, and Ko Ui-sook (Jeju) as auditor, completing the formation of the 11th executive committee for a two-year term. President Jeong Geun-sik had already been elected during a meeting in June.
In their statement, the association highlighted the seriousness of the decline in teachers' rights and demanded immediate action from the National Assembly and the government.
The association noted, "In schools, there are ongoing cases where legitimate educational activities and guidance by teachers are reported as child abuse. Particularly, the ambiguous criteria for 'emotional abuse' are causing a chilling effect on teachers' overall educational activities."
As a primary solution, they identified the urgent need to amend the Child Welfare Act and the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes. The association stated, "Legal standards must be clarified to ensure that legitimate educational activities and guidance are not subject to child abuse reports," emphasizing that concerns about weakening legal safety nets for child protection should not justify indiscriminate complaints and baseless reports from some parents.
Secondly, they argued for significant improvements in investigative procedures and systems to ensure the effectiveness of 'superintendent opinions.' The association urged that unnecessary investigations should be minimized for cases where superintendents have deemed the activities 'legitimate educational activities,' with a principle of resolution within one month.
They specifically called for reforms to prevent cases deemed 'without merit' by judicial police from being forwarded to prosecutors, criticizing the current situation where teachers suffer prolonged distress as suspects due to unnecessary prosecutions.
Finally, they proposed the establishment of a 'national dedicated agency' to take responsibility for and protect teachers' educational activities. This agency would oversee the establishment of nationwide common standards, preventive education, and surveys, while strengthening support systems linked to local areas.
President Jeong Geun-sik expressed hope that the assembly would serve as a meaningful opportunity to establish educational autonomy and gather wisdom to address pressing challenges in the education sector, stating, "I will strive for the 11th Education Superintendents Association to become a platform for cooperation and communication that brightens the future of education in South Korea."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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