Incheon Office of Education Launches Dedicated Task Force to Improve Overcrowded Classes Following 'Special Education Teacher Death'

Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education has begun improving the educational conditions of overcrowded special classes following the death of a special education teacher in Incheon.

On the 19th, the Office announced the launch of a dedicated task force for special education improvement. The task force, led by the Deputy Superintendent, consists of 26 internal and external members of the education office and will operate until August next year.

The Office plans to conduct a basic survey on the degree of overcrowding in special classes and the status of students with disabilities, then gather opinions from special education teachers and parents of disabled students to develop improvement measures. For schools with overcrowded special classes identified in the survey, the plan includes assigning one additional special education teacher per school or expanding special classes.

At the memorial service for special education teachers in Incheon held in front of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education on the 8th, seven teacher organizations are urging for a thorough investigation and improvement of conditions for special education teachers. 2024.11.8 Yonhap News Agency

Considering that elementary school special education teacher A, who passed away on the 24th of last month, was burdened with an overcrowded special class, the Office assigned one special education teacher to that school. Teacher A was responsible for a class of eight special education students, including four with severe disabilities, and reportedly taught 29 lessons per week.

The Office also plans to revise its internal teacher assignment criteria, which currently allow assigning temporary teachers only to schools where the number of students per class exceeds the legal limit by three or more. Additionally, the frequency of demand surveys for expanding special classes will be increased from once a year to twice a year, and applications for ad hoc expansions will be permitted.

Do Seong-hoon, Superintendent of Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "I sincerely apologize once again for not being able to protect Teacher A," and added, "We will improve special education conditions by reflecting the voices from the field."