Gwangju Teachers' Union to Recommend Candidate for Minister of Education

"New Administration Should Transfer Ministry of Education Authority to Metropolitan and Provincial Superintendents"
"Educational Autonomy Must Be Substantively Guaranteed, Not Just in Form"

The Gwangju Teachers' Union has announced its intention to propose education policy recommendations to President Lee Jae-myung, who was elected as the 21st president, and to recommend a candidate for Minister of Education.

President Lee Jae-myung salutes the national flag at the 21st presidential inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 4th. Photo by Yonhap News

In a statement released on the 4th, the union emphasized, "The people have ordered Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law and insurrection to be swiftly ended, and President Lee Jae-myung is the tool chosen by the people." The union continued, "The People Power Party received over 40% of the vote without apologizing for the insurrection, but ultimately could not avoid the judgment of the people," and criticized, "Those who speak of political retaliation are accomplices to the insurrection."

The union expressed its intention to recommend a candidate for Minister of Education in relation to the 'National Recommendation System for Key Public Officials' being promoted by the Lee Jae-myung administration. They explained, "The candidate is a person who meets the Lee administration's personnel standard of competence," and added, "This person is a current elementary school principal who participated in policy development through the Council of Metropolitan and Provincial Superintendents of Education and has held key positions in local educational autonomy." The union further stated, "Based on recommendations from teachers in Gwangju, we will make an official recommendation by adding endorsements from civil society and political figures."

The union also called for the full transfer of central government authority over elementary and secondary education to metropolitan and provincial superintendents. They argued, "For local educational autonomy to be genuinely realized, autonomy at the level of a federal system must be guaranteed," and asserted, "The current state of local educational autonomy remains merely formal."

The union stated, "We congratulate the launch of the Lee Jae-myung government of popular sovereignty together with the citizens of Gwangju," and added, "We hope the government will restore constitutional order according to the people's mandate and move in a direction supported by the people."