Education Superintendents Nationwide Move to Establish 'Teacher Rights Protection Bureaus'

As the Netflix series 'Get Schooled,' which vividly portrays the grim reality of collapsing teacher authority, creates a syndrome, newly inaugurated education superintendents across the country have collectively set the protection of teacher rights as their top priority.

In line with the social demand to restore public education, there is a strong push for institutional reform.

According to the education sector, Gyeonggi-do Superintendent of Education Lim Tae-hee announced plans to establish a bureau for the protection of educational activities.

The plan is for the Office of Education to intervene and protect affected teachers while providing legal support in cases of malicious complaints or infringements on teacher rights.

In his inaugural address, Superintendent Lim declared, "I will become a reliable shield for teachers by responding swiftly and decisively to any infringement on educational activities."

Other superintendents have also demonstrated their commitment by selecting teacher protection policies as their first executive orders.

Chungnam Superintendent of Education Kim Ji-cheol signed a proposal to launch a task force for teacher rights protection on July 1, immediately after taking office. The Gangwon State Office of Education also approved plans to establish a teacher rights support team and a special educational institution for the recovery of affected teachers.

While the names may vary slightly by region, the purpose and nature of these initiatives are the same.

The policy aims to protect the educational activities of teachers who have been discouraged by malicious and repetitive complaints, indiscriminate reports of child abuse, and conflicts with parents.

These administrative bodies, reporting directly to the superintendents, are expected to be staffed by education supervisors, education research officers, lawyers, and counselors.

Once an infringement on educational activities occurs, these offices will provide one-stop services, including a 24/7 call center for reports, legal support, on-site investigations, conflict mediation, counseling, and recovery support.

Education offices that had previously implemented similar functions are also working to address shortcomings in their systems, as the momentum for establishing teacher authority continues to grow.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.