Kim Kil-young, floor leader of the People Power Party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council, said on the 26th that following the defeat of a bill to repeal the Seoul Student Rights Ordinance, the party will pursue revision rather than repeal to guarantee both student rights and the rights of teachers and school staff.
Kim laid out concrete plans for the party's next steps. The party first intends to hold talks between the education superintendent and the leadership of both parties in the council to coordinate a specific direction for the revision, aiming to produce tangible results before a Supreme Court ruling.
At the core of the proposed revision is Article 13 of the existing ordinance, on freedom of privacy, which stipulates that schools must not ban students from possessing or using electronic devices outright. The party plans to amend that provision in line with Article 20-5 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, revised in September last year, which states that students must not use mobile phones or other smart devices during class. The stated aim is to fully protect students' right to learn and teachers' educational activities.
The party also plans to gather views from various sectors and draft a reasonable amendment addressing references to "sexual orientation and gender identity" in Article 5 of the ordinance, on the right to be free from discrimination, a point that has drawn considerable controversy among parents and in wider society.
At a plenary session held on the 25th, Superintendent of Education Chung Keun-sik said, "For schools where the human rights of everyone in the education community are guaranteed, I ask the council to lend its strength so that the ordinance can be supplemented through revision rather than repeal." Chung added, "We will work with the council so that not only students' rights but also teachers' authority is respected, and so that students' responsibilities and duties can be strengthened as well."
Kim said, "As the first ordinance bill on the plenary floor of the 12th council, it carries great symbolism, so through cooperative governance with the education office we will build a healthy school culture that satisfies both students and teachers." He added, "We hope the education office will engage in earnest in the revision work to protect students' responsibilities and teachers' authority."
