Gyeonggi Superintendent An Min-seok Meets Opposition and Ruling Party Leaders to Request Protection of Teachers' Rights and Political Participation

On the 10th, Gyeonggi Superintendent An Min-seok met with the leaders of the Democratic Party and the People Power Party at the National Assembly to discuss the protection of teachers' rights, legislation on teachers' political rights, and issues related to the Local Education Finance Allocation Law.

Superintendent An requested the National Assembly's cooperation on revising the Local Education Finance Allocation Law, amending bills to protect educational activities, and revising the Political Parties Act and the State Civil Service Act to guarantee teachers' basic political rights.

The meeting was attended by Korean Teachers' Council Chairman Kang Ju-ho, Korean Teachers and Educational Workers' Union Chairman Song Soo-yeon, Korean Teachers and Staff Union Chairman Park Young-hwan, and Senior Deputy Director Park Hyun-seok of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's Teachers' Rights Protection Division.

Superintendent An proposed the necessity of revising the three bills on teachers' rights protection (Child Welfare Act, Act on Special Cases Concerning Punishment, Etc. of Child Abuse, and Act on the Status of Teachers), which have become pending issues, and revising laws to guarantee teachers' basic political rights.

In addition, Superintendent An conveyed the problems with revising the Local Education Finance Allocation Law and stated that there had been very insufficient consultation with the education community, while expressing opposition along with concerns about potential cuts to elementary and secondary education investment.

In response, Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok stated, "I will listen to the opinions of the education community and the public," and added, "I hope Gyeonggi education will lead educational innovation for the Republic of Korea."

People Power Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok said, "I personally have positive thoughts on teachers joining political parties," and added, "I understand Gyeonggi Province's difficulties with the Local Education Finance Allocation Law and we will hold sufficient public discussion in the National Assembly."

After the meeting, Superintendent An explained, "The local education finance allocation linkage system will disappear for the first time in 55 years, but the process of public discourse on this has been very insufficient," and added, "The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education will take the lead so that the National Assembly's discussions on teachers' basic political rights, the three bills on teachers' rights protection, and the revision of the local education finance allocation can proceed according to the wishes of the education community and the public."

천의현 대표이사 euihyun@suwonilbo.kr