Teachers Freed from School Violence Duties... 2,700 Dedicated Investigators Deployed

Difficulties Including Malicious Complaints Against Teachers
'School Violence Dedicated Investigator' Handles Investigations
Response Through Case Meetings and Deliberation Committee Procedures
Over 2,700 Investigators Selected, Including Retired Teachers

The government has initiated institutional improvements to strengthen the management of school violence cases within schools and reduce the burden on on-site teachers. Relevant ministries announced plans to establish dedicated investigators for school violence cases, separating the investigation duties from teachers in the educational field. Through procedures involving investigators, school violence case meetings, and school violence deliberation committees, the government aims to enhance the professionalism and fairness of responses to school violence.

On the 7th, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the National Police Agency held a joint press conference at the Government Seoul Office to announce the "Improvement Plan for School Violence Case Handling System and Strengthening the Role of School Police Officers (SPO)." The Ministry of Education stated, "Teachers at schools have been responsible for investigating school violence cases, often facing difficulties such as malicious complaints and threats from parents," and emphasized that "the school field should focus on its core educational functions, such as improving and restoring relationships between victims and perpetrators, guiding both parties, and supporting victims," explaining the purpose of the institutional improvement.

First, a "dedicated school violence investigator" will be selected to take over the investigation duties currently handled by teachers. Based on the investigator's findings, each school will verify whether the conditions for self-resolution by the principal are met and whether the victim agrees. If the conditions are met, the case will be closed internally, and a relationship restoration program between the victim and perpetrator will be operated.

If the conditions for self-resolution are not met, the School Violence Zero Center at the Education Support Office will review the investigator's findings through a "school violence case meeting" and then directly request deliberation by the School Violence Countermeasure Deliberation Committee. The school violence case meeting will be established within the School Violence Zero Center as part of the comprehensive measures to eradicate school violence formulated in April. Chaired by the head of the School Violence Zero Center, the meeting will include investigators, school police officers, lawyers, and others to review and supplement the investigator's findings.

The plan is to select investigators from retired police officers and retired teachers with experience in school violence, student guidance, and investigation. These investigators will work at the Education Support Office and perform roles such as investigating school violence cases, reporting investigation results at dedicated organizations and school violence case meetings, sharing information with school police officers, and exchanging opinions on case investigations. Approximately 2,700 investigators (about 15 per Education Support Office) will be deployed.

The number of school police officers, who currently handle school violence prevention activities, guidance for perpetrators, and protection of victims, will be increased by 105 from the current quota of 1,022 to a total of 1,127. They will cooperate with the dedicated school violence investigators in an advisory capacity and support the National Police Agency's field activities.

Measures to strengthen the professionalism and fairness of the School Violence Countermeasure Deliberation Committee have also been prepared. School police officers will be appointed as members of the Education Support Office’s School Violence Countermeasure Deliberation Committee, and the proportion of legal experts will be increased. The plan is for school police officers to serve as intermediaries from the dedicated school violence investigators to the school violence case meetings and the deliberation committee, thereby establishing a systematic framework.