Kim Moon-soo proposes ‘True Education Three Acts’ in South Korea

South Korean lawmaker Kim Moon-soo has introduced the ‘True Education Three Acts’ to protect teachers' legitimate educational activities and ensure the learning rights of students and infants. The proposed legislative amendments target the Child Welfare Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Early Childhood Education Act.

A primary goal of the amendments is to prevent legitimate teaching methods from being misclassified as emotional abuse or neglect. Under the proposed Child Welfare Act revision, emotional abuse and neglect clauses would not apply to actions taken by school principals or teachers during educational or childcare activities. Instead, prohibited behaviors within these activities would be specifically defined under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Early Childhood Education Act.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act amendment seeks to explicitly prohibit harmful behaviors such as verbal abuse, insults, or threats that cause significant damage to a student's mental health. It also prohibits confining students to classrooms or neglecting basic care, such as meals, without educational necessity. Similar protections are included in the Early Childhood Education Act.

Data from the Ministry of Education shows that between 2021 and April 2024, there were 1,762 cases where teachers were investigated for suspected violations of child abuse laws. Lawmaker Kim noted that even when investigations result in no charges, the process places a heavy burden on educators, which can hinder necessary classroom guidance and impact student learning.