Park Soo-young, center, a teacher who was fired and barred from entering his school, conducts a class in front of Guhwon Elementary School in Seoul with some of his students, Monday. He is one of seven teachers who were fired for opposing the new state-run test. Policemen are standing guard to block him entering the school. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki |
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Tension is running high between the education authorities and groups against the state-administered scholastic test a day ahead of the exam Tuesday.
Despite the Seoul education office's dismissal of seven teachers who allowed their students not to take the test, some parent groups are planning to go on field trips again.
Progressive educators and parents groups are also increasing calls for the government to stop the ``standardized test'' for elementary and middle school students and reinstate the dismissed teachers.
Professors' union groups also joined the campaign to stop the test. They contended that educational motivation through competition is more than enough and many students have already been suffering from study pressure during a media conference held Monday in front of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.
``The state-run test will deteriorate the situation at elementary and secondary schools. The uniform test will rank schools by scores and only boost unnecessary competition,'' the professors' group said in a statement.
Some 20 other civic and womens' groups have joined the protest against the government test, arguing the test will increase private education costs and trigger competition among children.
However, conservative groups called for the progressive groups to stop protesting. ``Avoiding the test is anti-educational. Their protest is confusing parents and students. Educational authorities should stand firmly and take stern actions against any illegal activities by the protesters,'' the Korean Federation of Teachers' Association said in its statement.
Another parents' group called ``people who love school'' urged that each education office should punish teachers who oppose the test and bring countermeasures to the protestors.
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