Ruling Party "Handle First" vs Opposition "Maximize Consensus"
Individual Teachers Announce Rally in Front of National Assembly on 16th
169 Teacher Organizations Also Pressure for Legislation
With the National Assembly scheduled to hold a plenary session on the 21st, negotiations have begun to reach an agreement on the bill to protect teachers' rights, while teacher organizations and teachers plan to hold rallies to pressure for the bill's passage.
According to the National Assembly's Education Committee on the 13th, the ruling and opposition parties discussed the related bills once at the bill subcommittee on the same day and plan to vote on them at the subcommittee on the 15th. Previously, the Education Committee held the bill subcommittee four times but failed to reach a consensus. The bills to be submitted to the subcommittee include partial amendments to the so-called 'Four Laws for Protecting Teachers' Rights,' namely the Special Act on the Improvement of Teachers' Status and Protection of Educational Activities, the Framework Act on Education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Early Childhood Education Act.
The ruling and opposition parties have differences over provisions such as requiring that disciplinary actions taken against students who violate teachers' rights be recorded in the school life records, and establishing a separate review body to discuss the suspension of teachers' positions when they are reported for child abuse. The ruling party insists on prioritizing the passage of the agreed-upon bills, while the opposition party counters by saying they want to maximize consensus before the plenary session on the 21st. A ruling party official from the Education Committee said, "Whether an agreement is reached depends on the opposition party."
The government and the education sector have stepped up pressure for legislation this month. In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office the day before, President Yoon Suk-yeol said, "There have been successive distressing reports from the education field recently. Normalizing the education field is urgent," urging swift action. On the 11th, Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, also urged the National Assembly to promptly amend the laws, saying at the Government Seoul Office, "This week is the last hurdle for the legislation of the four major laws protecting teachers' rights."
Teacher organizations also raised their voices. On the morning of the same day, 169 teacher organizations including the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations, the Teachers' Labor Union Federation, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, and the New School Network held a press conference in front of the National Assembly main gate, urging the passage of the Four Laws for Protecting Teachers' Rights and the amendment to the Child Abuse Punishment Act, saying, "We ask the National Assembly to respond to the heartfelt cries of 300,000 teachers who have not been stopped by heatwaves and heavy rains with legislative achievements and fulfill their responsibility."
Teachers themselves are also taking direct action. On the weekend before the plenary session on the 16th, teachers will hold a rally in front of the National Assembly to urge legislation. Since this weekend's rally marks the resumption after two weeks, a large number of participants are expected. A teacher from an elementary school in Gyeonggi Province, who plans to attend the rally, said, "Even after a series of tragic teacher deaths, the National Assembly has neither moved nor changed the laws," adding, "I plan to attend the rally once again following the September 4th rally to raise our voices."
Regarding the current discussion status, an opposition party official from the Education Committee explained, "The opposition party intends to hold the subcommittee at least once more before the plenary session on the 21st to improve the completeness of the bills to help teachers," adding, "Both the ruling and opposition parties have agreed to pass the bills at the plenary session on the 21st."
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