Struggle against educational policy goes on in S. Korea

Korean News, 17 November 2001

Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA)—South Korean teachers are struggling against the unreasonable educational policy of the authorities. The South Korean authorities recently announced the policy of appointing primary school teachers which calls for selecting those teachers with certificates of qualifications for secondary school teachers and giving them one-year additional with a view to making up for the shortage of primary school teachers.

The National Teachers Union held an all-night sit-in on October 26 and a rally next day, strongly protesting the policy which ignores the nature of specializing in primary education.

Groups of teachers under the union took vacations.

Students of 11 teachers colleges across South Korea stayed away from classes two times and recently entered an indefinite strike.

The national council of student representatives of teachers colleges boycotted the examination for the appointment of primary school teachers and students of Inchon, Kongju and Taegu teachers colleges occupied the administrative buildings and staged a sit-in.

Besides, teachers’ organizations demanded the withdrawal of neo-liberalist education policy inciting commercialization of education, the revision of the private school law and provision of educational finance.