Seoul school superintendent protests abolition of student rights ordinance

The superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Cho Hee-yeon, continued his 72-hour protest in downtown Seoul on Sunday to oppose the city council's abolition of the controversial student rights ordinance on Friday.

Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Cho Hee-yeon, left, talks to Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk, during his protest against the abolition of the student rights ordinance in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, continued his 72-hour protest in downtown Seoul on Sunday to oppose the city council's abolition of the controversial student rights ordinance on Friday.

The education chief criticized the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s decision to pass the motion, referring to it as a “significant retreat in the history of schools and the rights of the people in Seoul,” as he spoke with local reporters right after the plenary session on Friday.

The ordinance was abolished in Seoul 12 years after it was enacted, marking the second locality nationwide to scrap it following South Chungcheong’s decision on Wednesday.

The student human rights ordinances were first enacted in 2010 in Gyeonggi, followed by five other local educational offices, including Seoul. The ordinances ban corporal punishment by teachers and better protect students against discrimination or abuse based on religion, gender identity or socioeconomic status.

Calls to amend or abolish the ordinance emerged following the apparent suicide of a young teacher at Seo 2 Elementary School in southern Seoul last July, with critics blaming the law for weakening teachers’ classroom authority.

All 60 council members present for Friday's plenary session approved the abolition. The liberal Democratic Party's lawmakers, who did not support the bill, were absent.

On the same day, the plenary session passed a new ordinance imposing stronger duties on students and their guardians.

Cho began his protest on Friday, right after the passing of the abolition, and is expected to continue the demonstration through Monday afternoon. Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk visited the education chief on Sunday to support the one-person protest in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education building.

The education chief said he might request reconsideration of the abolition after conducting administrative reviews.

If he asks for a reconsideration, the city council will need to put the bill to a vote again. The abolishment will be finalized if approved by at least two-thirds of the council members present for the vote, or 74 of 111 council members. The conservative People Power Party holds 76 seats in the city council.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]