Incheon Office of Education and Incheon Teachers' Union Begin Negotiations... 114 Demands Including Support for Health Teacher Staffing

Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education - Incheon Teachers' Association 2020 Negotiation and Consultation Opening Ceremony
[Photo by Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education and the Incheon Teachers' Union Federation have begun negotiations regarding teachers' working conditions.

In this negotiation, a total of 114 negotiation and consultation requests submitted by the Incheon Teachers' Union Federation in November last year, based on the "Special Act on the Improvement of Teachers' Status and Protection of Educational Activities," will be addressed.

The negotiation proposals include ▲reducing the number of students per kindergarten class ▲supporting health teachers in large-scale schools ▲providing COVID-19 quarantine support for instructors of students with special education needs, among other measures aimed at improving teachers' working conditions and enhancing their professionalism.

The negotiations between the Metropolitan Office of Education and the Incheon Teachers' Union Federation were originally scheduled to begin at the end of last year but were postponed due to the impact of COVID-19.

On the 12th, at the opening ceremony of the negotiation and consultation, Do Seonghun, Superintendent of Incheon Education, said, "I hope that the Metropolitan Office of Education and the Incheon Teachers' Union Federation will listen to each other's opinions and reach an agreement to improve teachers' professionalism and advance education in Incheon."