Enforcement Decree Passed at State Council Meeting
Regulations on Opinion Submission Deadlines and Other Details
The Ministry of Education has stipulated in the Enforcement Decree of the Teacher Status Act that opinions must be submitted to the Superintendent of Education within 7 days when reporting child abuse crimes.
On the 19th, the Ministry of Education announced that the revision of the "Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on the Improvement of Teachers' Status and Protection of Educational Activities" was deliberated and approved at the Cabinet meeting. This revision is a follow-up measure to the Teacher Status Act amended in September last year.
As the system requiring the submission of the Superintendent of Education's opinion by the education office when a teacher's legitimate disciplinary actions are reported as child abuse crimes and investigations proceed has been legislated, the Enforcement Decree now specifies detailed matters such as the deadline and method for submitting the Superintendent's opinion.
Since September last year, when a teacher is reported on suspicion of child abuse, the Superintendent of the relevant city or provincial education office must submit opinions to the city/province, city/county/district, and investigation/inquiry agencies within 7 days from the date the Superintendent becomes aware of the fact. This is to prevent educational activities from being suppressed due to indiscriminate child abuse reports.
On the 19th, as concerns over a medical crisis grow with residents at the five major domestic hospitals submitting collective resignations, Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, attended an emergency video conference at the Government Seoul Office with presidents of 40 universities that have medical schools. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@
The decree also includes provisions detailing the number of members, qualifications of members, and meeting convening requirements for the Regional School Rights Protection Committee, which has been transferred to the local education support office. Additionally, the Education Director may establish subcommittees if necessary for operational purposes.
While it has been customary for the Superintendent of Education to report to the Minister of Education when educational activity infringement is deemed a serious matter, the regulation has been changed so that reports must also be made when requested by the Minister of Education.
Furthermore, to protect teachers from various disputes or lawsuits related to educational activities, matters concerning the management and operation of the Teacher Protection Mutual Aid Project have been codified.
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