Jeong Geunsik: "Joint Inspections to Be Conducted in Areas with High Concentrations of Academies"

Student Death at Entrance Exam Academy: "Heavy Sense of Responsibility"
"Extreme Marketing by Certain Academies Must Be Corrected"
"We Will Prevent Excessive Pre-Study and Inhumane Promotions"

Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Jeong Geunsik, expressed on the 11th that he feels "deep sorrow and a heavy sense of responsibility as superintendent" regarding the recent death of a student at a private entrance exam academy building.

Seongun Sik Jeong, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, is delivering a greeting at the 'Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education New Year's Meeting' held on the 22nd at Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

On this day, Superintendent Jeong stated on Facebook, "I repeatedly reflect on what our society and education were doing while the wounds in the young hearts of our students festered so deeply."

He said, "We are well aware that this tragedy is inseparably linked to the overheated competition that constantly wounds the hearts of future generations," and added, "We also know well that some extreme marketing activities by certain entrance exam academies have fueled this."

Superintendent Jeong pointed out, "There are often advertisements in the academy sector that encourage excessive competition and ranking," and continued, "It is also common for students' personal information to be exposed or for blind preference for certain professions or schools to be promoted." He further noted, "There are also advertisements that provoke inappropriate feelings of superiority or inferiority based on test score differences," and stated, "The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will do everything possible to protect students' mental health and to correct inappropriate actions by certain private education providers."

To this end, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to conduct joint inspections of areas with a high concentration of academies, together with 11 district education support offices and the Student Rights Education Center.

Additionally, the office announced plans to strengthen training for academy operators to prevent excessive pre-study and inhumane promotional activities.

Furthermore, the office will urge legislative action to establish a legal basis for sanctions against advertisements that may infringe on learners' rights under the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons.

Superintendent Jeong expressed his hope that "many citizens, including those involved in entrance exam academies, will join in the effort to ensure that students grow up healthy in both body and mind."