An Min-suk: "Guarantee Teachers' Basic Political Rights"...Nine Provincial Superintendents of Education Release Joint Statement

Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education An Min-suk and Chungcheongnam Province Superintendent of Education Lee Byeong-do held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on the 10th and urged amendment of laws to guarantee teachers' basic political rights during this regular parliamentary session through a joint statement urging the guarantee of teachers' basic political rights.

The joint statement "Supporting the Guarantee of Teachers' Basic Political Rights" was signed by Gyeonggi Province Superintendent An Min-suk and Chungcheongnam Province Superintendent Lee Byeong-do, who attended the press conference, as well as Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Superintendent Kang Sam-young, Busan Metropolitan City Superintendent Kim Seok-jun, Ulsan Metropolitan City Superintendent Jo Yong-sik, Incheon Metropolitan City Superintendent Do Seong-hun, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Superintendent Kim Dae-jung, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Superintendent Cheon Ho-sung, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Superintendent Go Ui-suk.

Superintendent An Min-suk stated, "It is a fatal limitation of the current system that teachers, who are the main subjects of education, cannot participate in superintendent of education elections, which are the flower of educational autonomy," and emphasized, "True educational autonomy can only be realized when teachers can participate in superintendent elections on their own terms and have their voices heard."

The superintendents urged the government and the National Assembly to ▲enact legislation guaranteeing teachers' basic political rights including political party membership ▲establish legal standards to guarantee both political neutrality in education and students' learning rights ▲amend related laws within this regular parliamentary session ▲prevent unfair disadvantages resulting from demands for basic rights guarantee.

They emphasized the need to guarantee rights that can support teachers' substantive political action beyond partial improvements such as allowing leave for political donations or running for office in elections.

Superintendent An Min-suk and Superintendent Lee Byeong-do expressed support for the action taken on October 21 when approximately 5,000 teachers submitted applications for political party membership and indicated their intention to stand in solidarity with teachers.

The superintendents pointed out the reality that teachers who teach democracy must take to the streets as citizens demanding basic rights, and demanded improvement of current laws and systems that broadly restrict political party membership and political expression.

They also clarified the principle that both political neutrality in education and teachers' basic political rights must be guaranteed. While strictly restricting acts that coerce specific political parties or political views in classes and educational activities, they stated that the right to express political opinions and join political parties as citizens outside of schools should be guaranteed.

Additionally, they pointed out that although teachers are the implementers of educational policies in the field, they are not sufficiently participating in policy and legislative processes.