Expelling political teachers

Basic rights are a matter of democracy, not ideology

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education recently decided to dismiss 16 school teachers for paying membership fees to the Democratic Labor Party. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, however, will mete out far lighter penalties of pay cuts and reprimands to the 19 teachers under similar charges of ``unlawfully being involved in political activities."

Such a wide gap in punishment for the same violation is due to the difference of regional education chiefs, who wields the authority on disciplining problematic teachers. Out of the 14 top educators in the other 14 provinces and metropolises, at least five other progressive officials will likely disobey the education ministry's guideline on the harsh punishment and the nine conservative chiefs will follow it.

The disciplining disparity among different regions in the same country is unfair, unnatural and unreasonable. If the nation should have a unified principle in this matter, however, the education ministry's guideline was wrong for various reasons.

Above all, the ministry has no rights to decide on the severity of punishment except for recommending disciplinary action to the regional education offices on the basis of its authority to guide and supervise the latter. In committing the abuse of authority, the ministry cited the rule of law ― as this administration has done so often ― noting the teachers violated the laws that ban them from participating in political activities. It is doubtful, however, whether it conforms to the rule of law that the ministry pushes ahead with disciplinary action when trials are ongoing concerning these cases.

A law should probably remain a law, however undesirable it may be. As Koreans know too well, however, the law prohibiting government employees, including public schoolteachers, from joining political parties were enacted under the rule of general-turned-president, Chun Doo-hwan. In other words, it should just be a matter of time for Korea to repeal the old remnants of an authoritarian era.

Of course, many advanced countries have laws calling for the political neutrality of public servants. What these industrial countries demand from their officials, however, is to refrain from reflecting individuals' political inclination in their duty and to remain fair and impartial at work.

There are no industrial countries ― certain none among the G-20 members ― that maintain such a comprehensive ban on political activities, as done by Korea, who is scheduled to host their summit in November. It is not impossible to find similar examples of outdated politics and democracy but only among some underdeveloped Third World countries. It was as early as a half century ago that the United States abolished a similar law, because civil servants are also citizens ― taxpayers and voters ― before they are government employees.

What was politicizing was the education ministry's move, which discriminated against governing and opposition parties. While the teachers in question have donated some $300 to DLP over the past five years, the ministry has done nothing about the 10 principals of Seoul-based schools, who gave $4,000 each to the ruling Grand National Party, saying the latter case was not membership fees but ``political donations."

The Lee administration's No. 1 slogan is making Korea an advanced country. As far as basic rights and true democracy are concerned many Koreans are hoping their country will not retreat to authoritarianism.