Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education Urges Withdrawal of Staff Reduction Ignoring Local Conditions

Education Ministry's Notification of Teacher Quota Reduction Next Year
"'Concerns Over Decline in Public Education Competitiveness
and Acceleration of Regional Disappearance' Sparks Backlash"

The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education has called for the withdrawal of the Ministry of Education's notification to reduce the number of teachers for the 2025 academic year, describing it as a unilateral administrative decision that fails to reflect local conditions.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education on the 13th, the Ministry of Education notified that the number of teachers in Jeonnam for the 2025 academic year will be reduced by 145 (2.5%) in elementary schools and 179 (3.0%) in secondary schools. This is a significant increase compared to last year's reductions of 29 in elementary and 87 in secondary schools.

Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education building. [Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education]

In response, the provincial office submitted an opinion letter to the Ministry of Education, incorporating the results of the public elementary and secondary school teacher quota consultation council and feedback from school sites, which included proposals for allocating teacher quotas in Jeonnam that reflect local conditions, and expanding the temporary quota for hiring contract teachers beyond the fixed period.

They pointed out, "The Ministry of Education's teacher supply and demand standards are calculated based on the 'number of students per teacher' rather than the actual 'class' where teaching takes place," adding, "This policy does not reflect the local conditions of Jeonnam, which has many small-scale rural schools."

In particular, they added, "The Ministry of Education's policy to reduce teacher quotas contradicts the educational reform intentions expressed by the President in the 2023 New Year's address, stating that 'regional balanced development is the shortcut to solving the low birthrate problem. We will diversify curricula so that the future generation can receive the education they desire.'"

The provincial office judged that reducing the number of teachers is not simply about cutting organizational quotas but could deteriorate the competitiveness of local public education and accelerate regional extinction.

Superintendent Kim Dae-jung stated, "The foundation of regional development lies in establishing a solid public education base. We urge a reconsideration of the teacher quotas reflecting the educational realities of Jeonnam, which has many small-scale rural schools."