By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

The government move to disclose the number of unionized teachers is being welcomed by many parents but inviting resistance from the progressive union of teachers.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced a new regulation requiring schools to disclose the number of teachers belonging to associations and the group's names.

The regulation, which will become effective from December, will likely be an important yardstick when parents choose schools for their children as Seoul education authorities plan to allow middle school students and parents to select high schools beginning from 2010.

While the ministry says the rule is to guarantee the right to know for parents and students, the progressive Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU) is resisting it.

``The new rule is obviously targeting KTU. It's intended to put political pressure on unionized teachers,'' temporary KTU spokesperson Lim Byung-ku said.

Some parents groups have demanded the disclosure of the number of unionized teachers. The union has opposed the disclosure saying it will be used to discriminate against unionized teachers and the schools where they work.

Conservative groups are welcoming the ministry's move.

The Korean Federation of Teachers' Association is supporting the change. ``We have already made the number of our members public and have `no problem' with the regulation,'' said Kim Dong-seok, a spokesman for the association. ``However, demands by some groups such as disclosure of name lists and their activities might be against privacy protection and human rights.''

Parents are divided over the issue. Some conservative parents' groups including New Right Union are claiming that they have a right to know the thoughts and inclination of teachers who educate their children.

The National Association of Parents for True Education said ``It seems apparently that it is the right of parents to know, but New Right groups have called for the movement to oppress the KTU.''

The ministry and KTU has been in conflict over various education issues including a teacher evaluation system and state-run exams to test the academic abilities of students at all elementary schools across the country.

Education authorities are pushing ahead with the teacher assessment system to boost the quality of teaching at schools and most parents and students support its introduction. However, KTU is strongly opposing the idea and has staged several rallies against the measure. In addition, the progressive teachers' group is claiming the government's education policy would produce severe competition among children and burden parents with a great amount of private education costs.

kswho@koreatimes.co.kr