80% of Citizens Say "Student Human Rights Ordinance Must Be Abolished to Protect Teachers' Authority"

Only 13% of Respondents Oppose Abolition
29% of Men in Their 20s Oppose
Gwangju Follows Chungnam and Seoul in Abolition Steps

In a survey, 82% of respondents expressed support for the abolition of the Student Human Rights Ordinance.

82% of Netizens Support 'Abolition of Student Human Rights Ordinance'... Some Say "Abolition Should Not Happen, It Should Be Revised and Supplemented for Balance"

On the 27th, SK Communications (SK Comms) conducted a survey through its current affairs poll service 'NateQ' targeting 7,420 adult men and women, asking for opinions on the abolition of the Student Human Rights Ordinance. The results showed that a staggering 82% of respondents answered, "I support it for the protection of teachers' rights." Meanwhile, only 13% of all respondents opposed the abolition, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining the ordinance to respect student rights, protect student safety, and create a fair educational environment.

Support for the abolition of the Student Human Rights Ordinance was high across all age groups. However, among males in their 20s, opposition to the abolition was the highest at 29%.

[Image source=SK Communications current affairs Poll service 'NateQ']

Comments on posts related to the survey on the abolition of the Student Human Rights Ordinance expressed concerns about the decline of teachers' rights, such as "Even if corporal punishment is banned, teachers' rights need protection when excessive restrictions for student rights threaten other students' right to education and classroom safety," "Basic character and manners should be taught at home, but parents who are overly protective of their children seem to have caused problems that teachers can no longer recognize," and "Is our current education system right when teachers are reported for child abuse after demanding treatment for children who slap teachers, cannot control their anger, hit friends, and run out during class?"

On the other hand, voices pointed out that abolishing the Student Human Rights Ordinance is not the only solution, with comments like "Abolishing the ordinance to improve teachers' rights does not seem right. The problems should be balanced and supplemented," and "Both inhumane treatment of students and disregard for teachers' rights often stem from the abuse of power by those in authority. Students should also be treated with dignity alongside the protection of teachers' rights."

Regarding the survey results, An Ji-seon, team leader of SK Comms Media Services, said, "Support for the abolition of the Student Human Rights Ordinance is overwhelmingly high regardless of generation or gender," adding, "However, many agree on the need to protect teachers' rights and still call for complementary improvements rather than unilateral complete abolition of the ordinance. We hope that through listening to these voices, a balanced policy that respects the rights of both teachers and students can be established."

The Student Human Rights Ordinance, Cited as a Cause of Declining Teachers' Rights... Following Chungnam and Seoul, Gwangju Also Proposes Abolition

The Student Human Rights Ordinance is a regulation enacted by each education office to guarantee students' dignity, value, freedom, and rights within the school curriculum so that students' human rights can be realized. It specifies students' rights not to be discriminated against based on gender, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc., and includes provisions such as banning corporal punishment, respecting individuality in dress and hairstyle, and minimizing inspections of personal belongings. It was first enacted in Gyeonggi Province in 2010 and subsequently adopted by other local education offices.

However, recent repeated incidents of violations of teachers' rights have pointed to the ordinance as a major cause of the decline in teachers' authority, placing it at a crossroads for abolition. Nonetheless, there are many voices opposing unilateral abolition and advocating for complementary alternatives, which has intensified confusion and conflict in schools.

On the 25th, the Seoul Metropolitan Council submitted a bill to abolish the Seoul Student Human Rights Ordinance to the plenary session, which passed with 76 votes in favor out of 111 members present. The abolition bill, which had passed the plenary session on April 26, was re-submitted after Seoul Superintendent of Education Cho Hee-yeon opposed the abolition and requested reconsideration. Superintendent Cho stated that if the abolition bill is re-approved, she plans to file a lawsuit with the Supreme Court to nullify it and request a suspension of execution.

The first place to abolish the Student Human Rights Ordinance was Chungnam. After the abolition bill passed the Chungnam Provincial Council in December last year, it was revived following the superintendent's request for reconsideration and a re-vote, but the bill was reintroduced and ultimately abolished in April.

Following this precedent, a residents' ordinance petition demanding the abolition of the Student Human Rights Ordinance is expected to be formally submitted as an agenda item to the Gwangju Metropolitan Council.