Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong officially acknowledged the ambiguity surrounding the 'emotional abuse' clause of the Child Welfare Law, which has been identified as a major cause of the decline in teacher authority and indiscriminate reporting against educators. She expressed her commitment to actively collaborate on legal amendments.
During a parliamentary question-and-answer session on the 14th, Jeong and Rep. Jeong Seong-guk of the People Power Party discussed the issues with the current Child Welfare Law, which they agreed is stifling the educational environment.
Rep. Jeong highlighted the frustrating realities faced by educators, citing specific examples. He questioned whether instructing a student to clean up after littering or asking a student who failed to complete homework to do so constitutes educational guidance or child abuse. He pointed out that even a student being bitten by a mosquito at school could lead to a teacher being reported for child abuse.
He specifically noted that the Child Welfare Law is referred to as the 'grim reaper law' in educational settings due to the ambiguity surrounding emotional abuse. He emphasized that the lack of clear definitions regarding what constitutes emotional abuse is causing significant distress among teachers and strongly urged for the swift processing of his proposed amendment to the Child Welfare Law, which he introduced as the first bill in the 22nd National Assembly.
In response, Minister Jeong expressed deep empathy for the challenges faced by teachers. She stated, 'The fundamental spirit of the Child Welfare Law, which prohibits any form of child abuse, must be respected.' However, she agreed with the concerns raised about the ambiguity of the definitions and scope of emotional abuse, which can lead to confusion and potential misuse in the field.
Minister Jeong also indicated her willingness to actively participate in discussions regarding the pending amendments to the Child Welfare Law in the National Assembly. She promised to consider the intent of the five existing laws aimed at protecting teacher rights and to comprehensively review relevant constitutional court and Supreme Court precedents when evaluating the proposed amendments.
Furthermore, she announced plans for inter-departmental cooperation and the development of effective measures that go beyond mere amendments to legal provisions. Minister Jeong remarked, 'Simply revising the regulations of the Child Welfare Law will not adequately address the complex issues in the field.' She pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Education to establish practical guidelines that can be effectively implemented and to create a comprehensive system for assessment and support.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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