By Kang Shin-who
The education ministry is moving to keep unruly students from participating in classes for a certain period as an alternative to corporal punishment so teachers can regain authority in the classroom.
According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Wednesday, a task force, comprised of professors and educators, suggested the ministry adopt the rule suspending trouble-making students from classes temporarily.
Instead, the students will be provided with counseling and other education programs. If the ministry confirms the plan, the revised rules will take effect at all elementary and secondary schools across the nation, from next spring semester, ministry officials said.
The ministry’s plan conflicts with municipal and regional education offices including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province that have implemented a ban on corporal punishment.
Since last November when the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has forbidden any kind of physical punishment, a number of teachers have complained of difficulties dealing with disobedient students and called for the authorities to devise other methods of discipline.
In addition, a series of students’ verbal abuse cases against female teachers in classrooms have stoked skepticism regarding the policy.
Also, the research team proposed the ministry replace corporal punishment with indirect physical punishment, such as forcing problematic students to stand at the rear of the classroom, do push-ups and run around the playground.
These new government-scale measures are expected to conflict with the students’ rights ordinance pushed forward by liberal top educators in Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province.
Kwak No-hyun, superintendent of Seoul’s education office, has indicated that restrictions on students’ hairstyles and clothing codes will be relaxed next year.
Also, the city education authorities will scrap mid-term and final examinations for elementary school students.
Kwak’s liberal education policies are inciting fierce protest from conservative teachers’ groups and civic organizations.
The conflicts between the education ministry and liberal municipal education offices are also causing confusion at schools.
The ministry plans to finalize details of the introduction of substitute steps next month after holding a series of hearings. It will revise the related educational ordinance and announce the revision, with the new rules going into effect from the spring semester at primary and secondary schools across the nation.
“If the decree is revised, ordinances banning corporate punishment completely will no longer be effective,” a ministry official said.
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