By Lee Kyung-min
Education Minister Lee Joon-sik said Friday that the government may reconsider its plan to publish a state-authored history textbook, an apparent change of stance following growing public protests against the book.
The minister’s stance, however, was different from that of Cheong Wa Dae which said there would be no change in issuing the textbook, showing a crack between government bodies.
When asked at a National Assembly session whether the ministry would withdraw the textbook if the public backlash expands, Lee said, “We’ll collect public opinion and make a decision after disclosing the draft of the textbook next Monday as scheduled.”
The ministry initially planned for the book for middle school students to be used starting in the first semester next year.
Speculation is rising that the ministry might consider having only a limited number of schools use the new book on a pilot basis or allowing schools to choose between the new and existing books.
Lee also disclosed the writing criteria of the book, which the ministry planned to do so along with the draft next Monday.
While the government has said the new book will have historical facts without errors or biased views, the criteria contained some historical views endorsed by right-wing conservative groups.
It recognizes Aug. 15, 1945 as the date of the establishment of Korea _ a view which, according to liberal groups, disregards the historical importance of a provisional government set up in Shanghai in 1919.
The contents also stressed the economic achievements of former President Park Chung-hee, the father of the incumbent President Park Geun-hye, putting less emphasis on his dictatorship.
Officials at Cheong Wa Dae, however, said they had not been told by the ministry about a reconsideration or alternatives to use of the state textbook, saying there would be no big changes.
The ministry’s change of stance followed multiple protests from educators and civic groups.
Earlier in the day, the Korea Teachers & Education Workers’ Union (KTU) denounced the Park administration for pushing ahead with the textbook plan, especially amid the influence-peddling scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil.
“Regardless of content of the book, the idea of teaching children state-authored history is improper,” KTU head Byun Seong-ho said in press briefing in front of the Government Complex in central Seoul.
“The whole process lacked legitimacy: history is the only subject undergoing revision while other subjects are to be revised a year from now. Also the writers and writing criteria have remained secret.”
Byun said it is highly likely that the textbook plan was designed by Choi, who allegedly meddled in state affairs.
“The government and Lee are ignoring the candlelit rallies by 1 million protestors. Lee is disqualified as a top educator. He has neither the ability, nor the will to protect education from politics. He should resign immediately.”
He said the union defined the textbook plan “a political invasion into education,” saying its members would take every measure to prevent the plan.
The KTU collected online signatures from 97,061 people opposed to the textbook between Monday and Thursday _ 11,114 teachers, 4,545 students, 45,822 parents and 35,580 citizens. It submitted the petition to the ministry.
Meanwhile, heads of the 17 regional education offices nationwide also expressed similar demands in a statement, Thursday.
They said unless the government immediately scraps issuing the textbook, they would not cooperate with it, indicating they would not use the book at schools. They said their students can use existing history textbooks published by multiple private publishers.