By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
All primary and secondary schools will be closed on Saturdays by 2011. The government said Wednesday it will introduce the five-day school week to help improve working conditions for teaching staff.
Currently, schools are closed every other Saturday.
The Education and Human Resources Development Vice Minister Seo Nam-soo and the Korea Federation of Teachers Association (KFTA) head Lee Won-hoi signed the agreement at the government complex.
According to the agreement, the ministry will collaborate with the association to push ahead with a series of welfare policies for teachers including better working conditions, wage improvements and increased breaks.
To launch the program within the timetable set for 2011, the government will modify the school curriculum and working conditions as well as the administrative system.
``The ministry should push the agreement unquestionably because it is closely related to instructors' morale and stable education,'' said the KFTA head.
The two sides reached a consensus on the matter after nine meetings held since last September.