Gyeonggi Province Education Superintendent An Min-seok Meets Party Leaders to Request Teacher Rights Protection and Political Participation

On the 10th, Gyeonggi Province Education Superintendent An Min-seok met separately with the leaders of the Democratic Party and the People Power Party at the National Assembly to discuss teacher rights protection, the Teachers' Basic Political Rights Act, and issues related to the Local Educational Finance Transfer Law.

Superintendent An requested National Assembly cooperation on the revision of the Local Educational Finance Transfer Law, amendments to legislation protecting educational activities, and amendments to party law and national civil service law to guarantee teachers' basic political rights.

Korean Teachers and Principals Union Chair Kang Ju-ho, Teachers' Solidarity Federation Chair Song Su-yeon, Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union Chair Park Young-hwan, and Gyeonggi Province Office of Education Teacher Rights Protection Division Senior Vice Director Park Hyun-seok accompanied the superintendent.

Superintendent An proposed the necessity of revising the three teacher rights protection bills currently at issue (Child Welfare Act, Child Abuse Punishment Act, and Teachers' Status Act) and amendments to laws to guarantee teachers' basic political rights.

In addition, conveying the problems with amendments to the Local Educational Finance Transfer Law, he stated that there had been very insufficient consensus gathering from the education sector and expressed concerns and opposition regarding the potential reduction in investment in elementary and secondary education.

In response, Democratic Party Chair Kim Min-seok said, "I will listen to the opinions of the education sector and the people," and added, "I hope Gyeonggi education will lead educational innovation in Korea."

People Power Party Chair Jang Dong-hyuk stated, "I have personally positive thoughts on matters such as teachers joining political parties," and said, "I understand Gyeonggi Province's difficulties regarding the Local Educational Finance Transfer Law, and we will hold sufficient public discussion at the National Assembly."

After the meeting, Superintendent An explained, "The local educational finance linkage system is disappearing for the first time in 55 years, and there has been very insufficient public discourse on this," and added, "The Gyeonggi Province Office of Education will take the lead to ensure that discussions on the Teachers' Basic Political Rights Act, the three teacher rights protection bills, and reforms to the Local Educational Finance Transfer Law proceed in accordance with the wishes of the education sector and the people."