The Area Most Affected by Teacher Reduction... 'Jeonnam' with Many Small Schools

Jeon Nam-do Councilor Mo Jeong-hwan Reports 416 Small Schools
Quality of Education Declines... Temporary Teacher System Must Be Maintained

At the Jeonnam Provincial Council session held on the 1st, Assemblyman Mo Jeong-hwan is delivering a 5-minute free speech.
[Photo by Mo Jeong-hwan]

Concerns have been raised that Jeonnam, which has many small-scale schools, is expected to suffer the most damage due to the Ministry of Education's teacher reduction policy.

On the 1st, Mo Jeonghwan, a member of the Jeollanam-do Provincial Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Hampyeong), stated this during a 5-minute free speech at the 1st plenary session of the 2nd regular meeting of the 386th session.

Mo said, "Among the 820 elementary and secondary schools in Jeonnam, as many as 416 are small-scale schools with fewer than 60 students, so the reduction in teacher quotas is directly leading to a decline in the quality of education in the province," adding, "Considering the regional conditions with many farming and fishing villages and island areas, fundamental improvement measures are necessary."

Mo also stated, "First, teacher quotas should be set based on the number of classes. For middle schools with three classes, a minimum of seven teachers, and for high schools, a minimum of eight teachers are required to maintain the basic curriculum," and added, "Until the minimum quota is secured, it is necessary to continuously operate the temporary teacher system outside the fixed quota on a provisional basis."

Mo further said, "For farming and fishing villages to thrive, their schools must survive, and for Jeonnam to thrive, its small-scale schools must survive," emphasizing, "If the government ignores the voices from the education field, it is tantamount to neglecting the education of our children."