Amid discussions on the enactment of the so-called ‘Sky’s Law’ following the murder of an elementary school student in Daejeon, the Gyeongnam Office of Education announced that it will strengthen measures and support for teachers who have physical or mental illnesses that make normal work difficult.
On the 18th, the provincial Office of Education announced countermeasures related to the recent elementary school student murder case that occurred in Daejeon at a press room.
Shin Hyun-in, Director of Elementary Education at the Gyeongnam Office of Education, is explaining the workflow for handling teachers with illnesses. Photo by Lee Se-ryeong
First, the provincial Office of Education will establish a ‘Teacher Mental Health Support Team’ consisting of a total of eight members, including the Education Activity Protection Officer, supervisors, specialized counselors, and psychiatrists.
The support team will recommend leave of absence, psychological counseling, and treatment support after verifying facts through counseling and report reception when signs of mental health risks are detected in teachers or related support requests are received.
If the teacher does not accept this, the case will be submitted to the Teacher Illness Deliberation Committee for review of compulsory leave or dismissal.
The provincial Office of Education will strengthen the recovery verification process to check whether teachers who have taken leave due to mental health-related illnesses can actually adapt to the educational environment through monitoring, in addition to confirming recovery through hospital medical certificates when they apply for reinstatement.
Furthermore, the Education Support Office and the provincial Office of Education will conduct regular reporting and management of teachers on sick leave, and the committee regulations will be revised to follow up on related legal amendments.
Flowchart of the Direct Committee Operation under Gyeongnam Office of Education for Disease Teachers. Provided by Gyeongnam Office of Education
Starting from March 1, the psychological and emotional healing program for teaching staff will be expanded from teachers to all school staff to allow mental health checks.
To this end, an online psychological diagnosis program will be established, and those identified as being in crisis or high-risk groups through the psychological diagnosis will participate in voluntary healing job training to support voluntary recovery.
Schools that have experienced crisis situations will operate psychological healing and community rebuilding programs to achieve recovery and stability for staff and students.
Along with this, safety inspections will be conducted along student routes, including commuting paths, school facilities, meal facilities, and after-school care programs to ensure students’ safety from arrival to departure, with plans to address vulnerabilities before the new semester.
In addition, the provincial Office of Education plans to request the Ministry of Education to promptly legislate the Teacher Illness Deliberation Committee, allocate special grants for promoting teachers’ mental health, and establish a concrete project system.
Superintendent Park Jong-hoon said, “Teachers’ mental health issues are an important matter directly connected to the quality of education,” adding, “We will create an educational environment where teachers can teach with a healthy mind and students can learn safely.”
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