Jeonnam Teachers' Union Opposes Student Rights Legislation... "Causes Educational Confusion"

The Jeonnam Teachers' Labor Union on the 20th urged the withdrawal of the re-proposal of the ‘Student Human Rights Protection Act’.

In a statement, the Jeonnam Teachers' Union said, “Recently, the Student Human Rights Protection Act was re-proposed by 12 members including Kim Moon-su of the Democratic Party of Korea. This bill, under the pretext of protecting student rights, risks causing confusion in schools and undermining educational activities.”

Jeonnam Teachers' Labor Union Logo. [Photo by Jeonnam Teachers' Labor Union]

On this day, the teachers' union stated, “If the Student Human Rights Protection Act is enacted, it will become a superior law that takes precedence over notices on student life guidance and school regulations. The Student Human Rights Protection Act will be a new law that supersedes education-related laws such as the ‘Framework Act on Education,’ the ‘Early Childhood Education Act,’ and the ‘Elementary and Secondary Education Act.’ The order in educational sites, which has been ‘barely’ maintained through the application of existing education-related laws, could be undermined by the Student Human Rights Protection Act.”

They continued, “The Student Human Rights Protection Act contains 18 articles from Article 8 to Article 25 regarding student rights, but only two articles address responsibilities. A bill that excessively emphasizes student rights itself becomes a critical factor that suppresses educational activities. Even actions such as marking absences when students do not attend school for health reasons or encouraging learning could be interpreted as human rights violations under this provision.”

Furthermore, “The establishment and operation of the Student Human Rights Center and the appointment of the Student Human Rights Advocate risk turning schools into playing fields tilted only toward students. When a student human rights violation occurs, the Student Human Rights Advocate can wield authority such as requesting materials and conducting on-site investigations to examine the case,” they pointed out.

They added, “While we hope that the human rights of all educational stakeholders, including students, are protected, the politically engineered Student Human Rights Protection Act is not the right way. Schools have long lost the cane, and even chalk has been taken away. We demand the withdrawal of this bill, which will only cause confusion in educational sites.”