Following teacher organizations, elementary school principals nationwide have also voiced opposition to the plan being reviewed by the National Education Commission to dismiss lower-grade elementary students at 3 PM.

The Korean Elementary School Principals Association urged today (September 2) that the review of dismissing first and second-grade elementary students at 3 PM is "educationally undesirable" and called for a reconsideration of introducing such a uniform system.

The Elementary School Principals Association consists of principals from approximately 6,100 national, public, and private elementary schools nationwide.

The association pointed out, "First and second graders in elementary school are at a stage where they should grow in a balanced manner not only through learning but also through play, rest, physical activities, peer relationships, and family life," adding, "Before uniformly extending the time spent at school, we must first examine whether it is educationally necessary for the students."

They also expressed concern, saying, "Community-wide care and after-school programs are already operating in elementary schools nationwide. In this situation, uniformly extending the dismissal time for lower grades to 3 PM is likely to overlap with existing programs in terms of time, space, personnel, and functions."

Furthermore, the association emphasized, "Above all, the inherent role of a school is education. The center of school policies must be students' learning and growth, and simply increasing the time spent at school should not be the goal of the policy itself."

(Photo: Yonhap News)