Seoul Student Human Rights Ordinance abolished after 12 years, “retreating youth human rights”

The Seoul City Council today approved a proposal to abolish the Seoul Student Human Rights Ordinance.

It has been 12 years since it was enacted in 2012.

After the ‘Seoi Elementary School Incident’ sparked controversy last year that the Student Human Rights Ordinance diminishes the ‘teaching rights’ of teachers, the abolition process was taken nine months later.

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon announced his plan to take legal action, saying it would lead to a decline in the overall human rights of children and youth.

This is reporter Je Eun-hyo.

◀ Report ▶

After the death of a teacher at Seoi Elementary School in Seoul in July last year, the controversy shifted to the student human rights ordinance.

There has been a growing argument, especially in the political circles, that teachers’ rights are being infringed upon by ordinances that excessively emphasize students’ rights, and that they should be abolished.

[윤재옥/국민의힘 원내대표 (2023년 7월 25일)]
″The student human rights ordinance ultimately encouraged irresponsible self-indulgence on the part of some students, resulting in a violation of teaching rights and the right to education of most students, leading to the devastation of the educational field.″

The Student Human Rights Ordinance went into effect in 2012, stipulating the right of students not to be discriminated against and the right to be free from violence such as corporal punishment.

On this basis, hair regulation and corporal punishment of students were banned.

However, some argued that the ordinance infringed on teachers’ legitimate right to education, and the city of Seoul has made frequent attempts to abolish the ordinance since 2022.

Finally, today, nine months after the Seoi Elementary School teacher death incident, the Seoul City Council, led by People Power Party members, abolished the Seoul Student Human Rights Ordinance.

[김현기/서울시의회 의장]
″I hereby declare that item 38 of the agenda, the bill to abolish the Seoul Metropolitan Government Student Human Rights Ordinance, has been passed with 60 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstentions out of the 60 members present.″

About 30 Democratic Party lawmakers did not participate in the vote.

Youth groups strongly opposed it.

[수영/청소년인권모임 ′내다′]
″(Student Human Rights Ordinance) served as the final line to protect students from anti-human rights school regulations and discriminatory practices. (Teachers’ poor labor conditions, etc.) The government and the ruling party are trying to ignore the essential problems and irresponsibly shifting responsibility for student human rights.”

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon also began a tent sit-in protest against the abolition.

[조희연/서울시교육감]
″If the Student Human Rights Ordinance is abolished, it will lead to a decline in the overall human rights of students across the country, and of children and adolescents. The collapse of teachers’ right to education cannot be solved by abolishing student human rights.″

In addition, Superintendent Cho announced that he would consider requesting a reconsideration so that the National Assembly could vote again.

However, since the number of People Power Party members who took the lead in abolishing the ordinance is overwhelming, it is highly likely that the city council will re-admit it as is.

This is Je Eun-hyo from MBC News.

Video reporting: Choi Gyeong-sun and Nam Seong-hyeon / Video editing: Kim Jong-un