The National Education Commission Reviews 'Separation of Physical Education Curriculum' for Lower Elementary Grades... Teacher Groups Say "Integrated Classes Are Appropriate"

Deliberation on Promotion at Today's General Meeting
Separation of Physical Education from 'Joyful Life'
98% of Elementary Teachers Say "Irrational"
Cho Hee-yeon: "Opposed to Integrated Curriculum Approach"

The National Education Commission will deliberate on whether to proceed with the revision of the curriculum to separate physical education from the 'Joyful Life' subject for 1st and 2nd grade elementary students.

According to the education sector on the 26th, the National Education Commission will hold a plenary meeting on the same day to review whether to initiate the procedure for revising the national curriculum by separating the physical education subject for 1st and 2nd grade elementary students from 'Joyful Life' and establishing it as a new subject. The commission holds the authority to deliberate and decide on the National Education Development Plan.

Earlier, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reviewed the '2nd Basic Plan for Student Health Promotion (2024?2028)' at the Social Relations Ministers' Meeting in October last year and pushed for a plan to separate the physical activity education area included in 'Joyful Life' for 1st and 2nd grade elementary students into a distinct 'Physical Education' subject.

At that time, the government decided to expand the proportion of physical education activities within the curriculum to revitalize school physical education time. For 1st and 2nd grade elementary students, the physical activity area, which was integrated within the 'Joyful Life' subject along with music and art, was to be separated into the 'Physical Education' subject. Additionally, the government announced plans to expand exercise programs that students can participate in during gaps such as morning, lunch, and after school.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, which led to continued remote classes, concerns grew over the decline in students' physical fitness, leading to calls for promoting physical activity.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, teacher organizations have opposed the move. They argue that suddenly pushing for the separation of classes could disrupt class operations. There are also opinions that the current integrated classes, including music, art, and physical education, are appropriate for the developmental education of lower elementary students.

The Elementary School Teachers' Union conducted a survey from the 23rd to 24th among 7,013 elementary school teachers regarding the plan to separate physical education from the 1st and 2nd grade curriculum and establish it as a separate subject. 98% of respondents stated that the plan is "unreasonable."

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union also announced the results of an emergency survey conducted over three days starting on the 23rd among elementary school teachers nationwide. According to the union, 88.8% of the 1,226 responding teachers expressed opposition.

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, also issued a statement on the same day, saying, "Separating physical activity from 'Joyful Life' goes against the integrated curriculum approach that has been in place for over 40 years since the 1980s for 1st and 2nd grade elementary students, and this raises concerns. 'Joyful Life' is based on the integrated operation of music, art, and physical education, so if physical education is separated, it is obvious that demands to separate music and art will follow," he pointed out.