Fixed-term teachers also recognized for teaching experience... Presidential Decree Amendment Passed at Cabinet Meeting

Raising Equity Issues with Regular Teachers
Including Contract Teachers in Education Career Scope
"Enhancing Equity with Regular Teachers"

A regulatory basis for recognizing the teaching experience of fixed-term teachers working in schools has been established.

The Ministry of Education announced on the 24th that the partial amendment to the "Teacher Qualification Examination Decree," which includes this content, was reviewed and approved at the Cabinet meeting. Until now, even when fixed-term teachers working on a part-time basis and regular teachers who have converted to part-time positions taught the same classes, the work experience of fixed-term teachers was not recognized as teaching experience, raising issues of fairness.

Previously, the education sector had continuously demanded the conversion of fixed-term teachers to regular positions and improvements in their treatment, but in 2017, as part of efforts to improve irregular employment in the education field, only some positions in kindergartens were converted to indefinite-term contracts.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is attending and speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 19th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

With this amendment, the work experience of part-time fixed-term teachers will also be recognized as teaching experience for acquiring teacher qualifications (such as Level 1 Regular Teacher, Professional Counseling Teacher) in proportion to their working hours. The scope of "teaching experience" recognized in the amended decree includes both part-time converted teachers and fixed-term teachers.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, stated, "We expect this to enhance fairness between part-time fixed-term teachers and regular teachers who have converted to part-time positions."