Nationwide teachers gathered in front of the National Assembly to demand revisions to child abuse-related laws and the protection of teachers' political rights.
On October 9, the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), and the Korean Teachers' Union (KTU) held a large rally titled 'Nationwide Teacher Rally for the Revision of the Education Activity Protection Law' in front of the National Assembly.
Approximately 20,000 teachers participated in the rally, according to estimates from the organizers, with support from 94 teacher organizations and unions nationwide. This marks the first joint large-scale rally by the three teacher organizations since the memorial rally for a teacher in Jeju in June 2025.
In a joint statement, the teacher organizations emphasized, "A school where teachers can teach without fear and students can learn safely is not a special demand but a minimum condition for education." They urged, "Before demanding new responsibilities, ensure the right to educate and the conditions to implement it."
They specifically pointed out the reality where legitimate guidance can lead to child abuse reports, calling for the establishment of judgment criteria that reflect the characteristics of school environments and amendments to the Child Welfare Act.
For instance, they cited cases where a teacher who guided a student folding paper airplanes for performance assessment was sued, and another teacher who restrained a student running out of the cafeteria was reported for child abuse.
The organizations stated, "Teachers who teach students about participation in a democratic society are restricted from their rights as citizens even outside of school," demanding the protection of political rights.
Regarding the restructuring of local education financial grants, they emphasized the need to maintain funding linked to 20.79% of domestic tax revenue to support schools and classes, even as student numbers decline, as well as special education and basic academic support.
Additionally, they called for the abandonment of the 3 PM dismissal for lower elementary grades, the discontinuation of uniform discussions on integrated early childhood education, and the halt of unverified written and essay assessments and the expansion of AI grading.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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