Yoon calls for education guidelines to enhance teachers’ authority

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South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has issued a direct order to develop education ministry guidelines to empower school teachers, while advocating for the amendment of local autonomy ordinances that may overly prioritize student rights.

During a meeting with his senior secretaries at the presidential office on Monday, Yoon instructed the timely establishment of concrete education ministry guidelines to be applied to nationwide schools.

“The revision of ordinances that infringe upon teachers’ rights should be pursued at the same time in collaboration with the ruling party and local authorities to ensure a balanced and fair approach,” the president was quoted as saying.

The ordinances mentioned by the president are believed to refer to the student rights ordinances passed in six regions, including Seoul and Gyeonggi, led by the Korean Teachers & Educational Worker‘s Union.

“Our government has recently completed the revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and its enforcement decree as a national agenda to strengthen teachers’ authority,” Yoon said.

The government passed the enforcement decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act during the cabinet meeting last month, incorporating provisions that grant school principals and teachers the authority to discipline students in areas such as academic performance, career guidance, character development, and interpersonal relationships.

The president’s remarks come amid mounting public ire over incidents where an elementary school teacher took her own life due to the immense pressure of student guidance and overbearing from parents, as well as cases of students assaulting teachers.

“There are many toxic clauses, including the student rights ordinances, and the President’s statement aims to balance and rectify these,” said a senior official from the presidential office.

During a meeting with educators on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho announced that he will promptly establish education ministry guidelines by August, which specifies the scope and methods of student guidance by teachers.