Establish Emergency Situation Room for Real-Time Situation Sharing
Maintain Normal Operations Through Non-Strike Employees
Prepare Measures Such as Alternative Meals and Academic Operation Adjustments
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education and metropolitan and provincial offices of education have decided to provide alternative meals or guide the use of community care centers in preparation for the strike by educational public service workers responsible for school meals and care services.
On the 15th, the Ministry of Education announced that it held an emergency meeting the previous day to discuss measures to minimize inconvenience to students and parents due to the nationwide strike planned by the National School Irregular Workers Solidarity Conference on the 20th.
The Ministry of Education and the metropolitan and provincial offices of education will establish an emergency situation room to minimize inconvenience to students and parents during the strike. They will monitor vulnerable areas such as meals, care, and special education in real time and respond thoroughly by immediately reporting any urgent issues.
At the meeting, deputy superintendents of education from metropolitan and provincial offices stated that meals will be operated normally with the cooperation of staff not participating in the strike. However, if providing meals is difficult, they plan to offer alternative meals such as pre-packaged lunch boxes or bread and milk. They will adjust academic operations such as allowing students to bring their own lunch or shortening class hours. Separate meal support measures will be prepared for students who have difficulty bringing lunch.
To minimize care service gaps, they will utilize on-campus personnel not participating in the strike and prepare school-specific measures such as guiding the use of community care centers. They will prevent confusion through prior notifications to parents, such as sending home notices before the strike, and will thoroughly supervise students' return home and safety.
To minimize infringement on the learning rights of students with disabilities, school-specific measures will be established considering local conditions and strike participation status, with cooperation from staff not participating in the strike. In addition to teaching and learning activities for students with disabilities, preparations will be made for vehicle boarding and alighting, mobility safety, and meal assistance.
The Ministry of Education urged, "Along with discussing response measures for this strike, we plan to continue dialogue with groups such as the National School Irregular Workers Solidarity Conference to improve the treatment of educational public service workers, so we ask for restraint from striking."
Meanwhile, the School Irregular Workers Union and the National Education Public Service Headquarters, joint bargaining groups, have announced a general strike on the 20th, demanding improvements in treatment, elimination of welfare discrimination, and establishment of labor safety measures in school cafeterias.
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