Minister, Seoul Education Office chief send conflicting signals
By Han Sang-hee
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology put the brakes on the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s move to put a complete ban on all kinds of corporal punishment, throwing schools into confusion.
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho announced Monday a set of measures that clearly conflict with the policies already implemented by the Seoul education office to enhance students’ rights.
In an apparent move to neutralize the ban on corporal punishment along with the drastic relaxation of dress codes and hairstyles, Minister Lee said indirect corporal punishment such as pushups should be permitted at school to control unruly students. Lee also said it will give autonomy to schools over regulations for hair and dress codes.
“In order to overcome the confusion caused by a regional education office’s ordinance regarding student rights and the ban on physical punishment, the ministry has come up with a plan after giving the policy fair and balanced consideration,” Lee said during a press conference at the ministry.
The plan states that physical punishment that directly inflicts any type of pain to the body is prohibited, but indirect punishment such as running laps and push-ups, can be used as a means to discipline students.
The specific aspects of the allowable punishment methods will be decided by the schools individually, based on suggestions from students, teachers and parents, Lee said.
The latest ministry steps mean it will not accept the reform drives led by Kwak No-hyun, the progressive superintendent of the Seoul education office.
In reaction to Lee’s announcement, the education office issued a statement: “The obscure plans on permitting indirect physical punishment will bring more confusion on school grounds.”
Schools in Seoul have already implemented the office’s plan in prohibiting any type of physical punishment from last November.
The office instructed schools to revise their internal regulations so that any type of physical punishment, including running laps or push-ups were banned on school grounds.
“It’s different when you punish a student by having them do 10 push-ups compared to 100 push-ups,” an official from the education office said.
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