Assemblyman Jeong Seongguk Proposes Amendment to Education Officials Act
Direct Appointment of Supervisors with Only a Doctoral Degree to Be Blocked
Federation Urges Establishment of Appointment System Based on Field Expertise
The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations expressed its support on the 24th for the proposed amendment to the Education Officials Act, which would remove the provision allowing individuals with only a doctoral degree to be appointed as supervisors or educational researchers.
On this day, Assemblyman Jeong Seongguk of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, sponsored the amendment bill.
Under the current Education Officials Act, the qualification criteria for supervisors or educational researchers allow individuals to be deemed qualified solely by holding a doctoral degree, without any separate educational work experience. As a result, it has been pointed out that even heads of education offices (supervisors), who oversee all aspects of early childhood, elementary, and secondary education in cities, counties, and districts, can be appointed without educational work experience, making it difficult to ensure professionalism in the field of education.
Furthermore, considering the typical personnel system, in which individuals are promoted to supervisors or educational researchers after serving as supervisors or educational research officers with significant educational work experience, appointing someone to these positions based solely on a doctoral degree-without educational work experience-conflicts with the current professional qualification system in education.
The federation pointed out, "This provision has consistently been criticized for being widely abused as a legal loophole for so-called 'code appointments' or patronage appointments, such as placing election camp personnel or close associates, under the system of directly elected superintendents."
It further stated, "If individuals are appointed as supervisors or educational researchers solely based on a doctoral degree, it not only causes a deep sense of deprivation among teachers who have dedicated their lives to the classroom and built up their expertise, but it can also become a major cause of confusion in schools due to desk-bound administration disconnected from the realities of the field."
In response to these concerns, most education offices have implemented supplementary measures, such as establishing internal personnel management regulations that require both a doctoral degree and educational work experience.
The federation emphasized, "Those who have never experienced the intensity of classroom teaching and student guidance should not be making decisions about the direction of education. Supervisors who are unfamiliar with the field cannot genuinely empathize with the difficulties faced by teachers and will inevitably focus on performance-based, showy administration rather than providing substantial support." The federation added, "The bill proposed by Assemblyman Jeong is an essential measure to protect professionalism in the field of education and to establish fairness in personnel appointments. We hope the bill will be passed without delay."
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