South Korea’s Minister of Education, Choi Kyo-jin, stated on December 22nd that a decision regarding the controversial proposal to record instances of teacher rights infringements in official records has not been finalized, sparking debate among educators and policymakers.
Teacher Rights Records: Still Under Review
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The Ministry of Education is weighing whether to formally document cases of interference with teachers’ duties.
- Minister Choi emphasized the need for further discussion before a final decision is made.
- The proposal, initially revealed in the Ministry’s 2026 work report on December 12th, has faced opposition from teachers’ unions.
- Concerns exist that recording school violence incidents may inadvertently increase such occurrences.
- The Minister addressed the issue of teachers’ political expression, advocating for moderation.
- Plans for a student-tailored integrated support system remain on track despite calls for suspension.
Speaking at a press conference marking his 100th day in office at the Sejong Government Complex, Minister Choi explained, “The registration of birth records in cases of violation of teaching rights has not been finalized yet, and I think we need to gather more opinions.” The initial proposal, outlined in the Ministry’s 2026 work report, ignited controversy, with the National Teachers and Education Workers Union voicing strong opposition.
Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin is holding a press conference on his 100th day in office at the Sejong Government Complex on the 22nd.
Balancing Student Recovery and School Safety
Minister Choi also addressed the broader goals of education, stating, “The main purpose of education is to help students recover.” However, he acknowledged a potential downside to formally documenting school violence, noting, “There is also a negative aspect in that recording school violence has actually increased school violence in schools.” He recognized the divided opinions on recording teacher rights violations, stating, “There are opinions on the field that call for strengthening it, and there are many opposing opinions.”
Teachers’ Political Rights and Neutrality
Turning to the topic of teachers’ political expression, Minister Choi suggested a cautious approach. He stated, “In an atmosphere where teachers must be very careful while teaching (students), I think they should basically keep to the minimum level of expressing their opinions, such as making simple comments on policies, expressing their opinions, or clicking ‘Like’ on social media.” He downplayed the potential influence of teachers’ personal beliefs, adding, “I don’t think teachers’ activities of clicking ‘like’ on social media have any influence on students. Just because teachers have a particular religion doesn’t mean that religion has any influence on students.” He emphasized the importance of political neutrality in the classroom, stating that how to address violations of this neutrality requires further discussion.
Integrated Support System to Proceed
Despite recent requests from teachers’ groups to suspend implementation, the student-tailored integrated support system – also known as school-to-school integration – will move forward. Minister Choi affirmed, “We have no intention of stopping or delaying implementation without even trying it,” and pledged to “do our best to make good use of the purpose that the teachers’ and parents’ groups originally agreed on.” This “School Together” system, scheduled to launch in March, aims to collaboratively address student challenges like academic difficulties, emotional issues, school violence, and child abuse.
College Scholastic Ability Test Debate
Regarding a proposal by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Jeong Geun-sik to abolish the College Scholastic Ability Test by 2040, Minister Choi acknowledged a general public consensus on the need for reform. However, he cautioned, “There are too many things that actually need to be checked before we can nail down the 2040 date proposed by the Seoul Superintendent of Education.”
