Teachers` Union Members Holds Rally on 27th Leaving Class

The Korean Union of Teaching and Educational Workers (KUTE), which had left the school demanding the abolition of the performance-based payment system on 10th, decided to hold a large-scale rally giving up the classes on 27th.

The teachers` union announced yesterday that it would hold the overnight strike at Yoido Park, Seoul, on 26th, and the nation`s teachers rally on 27th in order to demand to withdraw the perfomance-base payment system, independently run private school system, and the introduction of the 7th educational curriculum.

The union sent to the members the strike participation guide according to which the teachers would request an yearly vacation specifying the reason for the vacation application as `participation in the KUTE rally`.

Since this rally is scheduled on Saturday having classes, it is likely to bring about the considerable reaction among the students and their parents worrying about the infringement of the right to education. In particular, if the rally participants specify the reason for the vacation as `participation in union`s rally`, the schools cannot approve the vacation application under the office regulations and the National Public Service Law, which prohibit the union activity during the office hours. Moreover, because the disciplinary measure ought to be taken inevitably according to those regulations, much conflict will be followed surrounding this issue.

An official of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said, ``In case that the teachers use the vacation for participating the rally, it will be regarded as `absence without notice`, which inevitably bring about disciplinary measures. So, the Education Office sent the official letters of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MEHR) urging the schools to thoroughly execute the service management of teachers, regarding the union`s rally plan.``

The MEHR had once sent the written warnings to 4,400 teachers using yearly vacations, who participated in the rally held by the teachers` union on Oct, 24th last year, regarding their actions as strike prohibited by the teachers` union law. And it had examined on the teachers` collective actions leaving schools early on 10th.

An union official said, ``The union members plan to cover up the missed classes by the change of classes or the use of discretional class, asking the cooperation of the school presidents and the colleagues. And it will explain the necessity of the rally to the parents of students through the correspondence.``

Lee Jin-Yeong ecolee@donga.com