"No Consultation with On-site Teachers"... Call for Complete Withdrawal
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) stated on the 12th that the Ministry of Education is repeatedly pushing forward unilateral and hasty policies regarding the plan to integrate early childhood education and care without collecting opinions from teachers in the field. The integration of early childhood education and care refers to the unification of the management systems for early childhood education and care, which are currently divided between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
On the same day, the KTU held a nationwide teachers' rally in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, demanding the complete withdrawal of the early childhood education and care integration plan. They declared, "We demand the full withdrawal of the integration policy that neglects the state's responsibility to strengthen the public nature of early childhood education and allows the disruption of public early childhood education." They further pointed out, "Although education and care have distinctly different purposes, it is deeply concerning that the identity and professionalism of early childhood education are being blurred under the name of integration." Approximately 3,000 people attended the rally, according to the organizers.
Regarding the Ministry of Education's decision to target children aged 0 to 5 for the integration, the KTU argued, "There is a significant difference in the proportion of education and care required and the professional competencies of teachers between infants aged 0 to 2, who need priority support for basic needs such as safety, hygiene, and nutrition, and children aged 3 to 5, for whom educational activities are the main focus."
They criticized, "The integration of age groups without considering developmental differences will increase confusion in educational settings, and above all, the children will suffer the consequences."
The Ministry of Education recently announced a plan to allow children aged 0 to 5 to attend integrated kindergarten and daycare institutions starting in 2025.
Teachers argue that the government has not concretely presented the form of the new integrated institutions or solutions to teacher treatment issues, which only exacerbates confusion in the field.
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