Test-Opposing Teachers Face Sanctions
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
The state-run test at primary and secondary schools was conducted across the nation while progressive groups of teachers balked at the exam again despite warnings of sanctions. Some hundreds of students with their parents went on a field trip, boycotting the test.
So far, a total of 12 unionized teachers have been dismissed for refusing to administer the state test.
Earlier, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU) released names of 122 teachers in Seoul and their schools, who opposed the test.
The authorities made it clear that they will punish these teachers. ``We are going to sanction the teachers who hamper the test according to the law, regardless of the number opposing it,'' an official of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said.
The National Association of Parents for True Education said more than 1,400 parents around the nation joined in the campaign to fight the test. Some other parents challenged it by asking their children to submit blank answer sheets or deliberately mark wrong answers.
They have been opposing the test, claiming the uniform exam will rank schools by scores and only boost unnecessary competition.
Regional education offices in 16 provinces and cities conducted the exam on elementary school pupils in grade 4 to 6 and middle school students in five subjects ― Korean, social studies, science, math and English.
The test aims to the measure academic level of students to offer tailored-made education. The test will be announced at the beginning of next month as ``pass'' or ``fail'' in each subject.
Initially, authorities planned to run the test on March 10 but a series of manipulation of test results by some schools delayed the schedule. Some schools and regional education authorities were found to have manipulated scores of the state-run tests held last October.