By Yun Suh-young
The Seoul Metropolitan Council is seeking to pass an ordinance by the end of the month that will strengthen teachers’ rights, members of the council said Wednesday.
Ten council members submitted a proposal last Friday suggesting that an ordinance for teachers’ rights be established.
The move to establish this comes as a student rights ordinance takes effect next month. The city council initially planned to submit the proposal for a teachers’ ordinance when the one for students was proposed last December but postponed it since many suggested that should be passed first.
“We’ve decided to establish an ordinance for teachers as well to enhance the quality of education in schools and to protect teachers’ rights and support their educational activities,” the council said in a statement.
If the ordinance is passed at a regular session of the council on the Feb. 27, it will be implemented starting from March. The students’ ordinance, passed by the council last month, will also go into effect next month.
The teachers’ ordinance contains articles that protect the rights of teachers when students disturb the class, insult the teacher, or violate school rules. Teachers will also be able to directly request parents who disturb educational activities to leave the school grounds. Schools also cannot unreasonably interfere or regulate teachers, according to the ordinance.
Content regarding the establishment of a support center for teachers will also be included.
“The teachers’ ordinance will balance the students’ ordinance,” a member of the council said. “It does not conflict with students’ rights. Instead, the ordinance will create an atmosphere which fosters respect for teachers from parents and students.”
Teachers’ organizations, however, reacted negatively.
The Seoul Federation of Teachers' Associations (SFTA) expressed its dissatisfaction saying that “teachers’ rights mentioned in the ordinance are rights already stated in the constitution” and thereby it resulted in “no legal benefits.”
They pointed out that seven of the 21 articles were problematic, particularly Article 4 which states “Teachers have the right to educate their students according to the law with autonomy and professionalism.” The SFTA said this article conflicted with the students’ ordinance which condemns corporal punishment.
The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) also criticized the council’s move.
“The teachers’ ordinance will have hardly any protective effect on their rights therefore we oppose it,” members of the organization said in a statement Wednesday. “We will try to stop the establishment of the ordinance by letting the council know of the problems in the articles.”
The teachers’ ordinance is a watered-down rule and cannot be the fundamental measure to enhance teachers’ rights, according to the KFTA.
In response to such feedback, the council expressed regret.
“We’re disappointed and perplexed to hear these opposing arguments. We will try to reflect additional opinions through further discussion,” they said.
Meanwhile, at a seminar held at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Wednesday on “Measures to Stop School Violence,” panelists called for the need to establish articles that affirm teachers’ rights.
“Content supporting and protecting the rights of teachers to teach must be included in the students’ rights ordinance,” said Kim Young-moon, an official from the Ministry of Justice who participated as a panelist.