#. An elementary school in the metropolitan area experienced a major conflict ahead of a field trip scheduled for the first week of this month. This is because riding a regular charter bus has become illegal due to an authoritative interpretation by the Ministry of Government Legislation. The teachers insisted on cancellation, but the vice-principal and principal demanded that it be enforced, saying, “If cancellation is made, the teachers should share the penalty of 300,000 to 500,000 won per person for the charter bus.” Nevertheless, the teachers strongly opposed it, so it was eventually canceled. A teacher at this school said, “I felt burdened because there are many precedents that hold teachers responsible if an accident occurs during experiential learning, but since even charter buses have become illegal, there is no reason to force experiential learning.” #. On the other hand, a Gyeonggi-
do The elementary school decided to go on the experiential learning program as scheduled. Despite the opposition of the teachers, the vice principal persuaded them, saying, “The Office of Education has set up a guidance period, and if a safety accident occurs, the administrator will also take responsibility.” A teacher at this school said, “If we suddenly cancel, “I decided to go because I thought the children would be very disappointed and the parents would also protest,” he said, adding, “I am very worried that there might be a safety accident and the parents will ask, ‘Why did you go on an illegal bus?’”
There is extreme confusion in elementary schools ahead of experiential learning this fall . This is because in October last year, the Ministry of Government Legislation issued an authoritative interpretation that only vehicles reported as ‘children’s school buses’ (yellow buses) should be used as a means of transportation for experiential learning. Regular charter buses reserved by schools in advance have become ‘illegal’. However, there are only 6,955 ‘legal’ yellow buses in the country that are entirely yellow and equipped with child seat belts and openable windows. This accounts for only 14% of the charter buses (49,860) used by elementary schools across the country for experiential learning in the first half of this year . As confusion increased, the Ministry of Education announced that it would provide an guidance period, but many teachers are opposed to forcing experiential learning due to concerns about illegal bus use and safety accidents.
Why experiential learning has become a ‘graveyard for teachers’
The controversy sparked by the illegal charter bus issue is spreading over the existence of experiential learning. Even before the charter bus controversy, teachers had a heavy burden of responsibility for safety accidents. This is because there were many rulings holding teachers responsible if an accident occurred during experiential learning.
An elementary school teacher in Seoul said, “In a case where a student lost his eyesight after being hit by an arrow fired by his friend during a field experience, the court held the teacher responsible as well and the Office of Education paid damages,” adding, “Even if the government’s interpretation of the law on charter buses changes , “If the structure of holding teachers responsible for safety accidents does not change, I think it is right to abolish experiential learning altogether,” he said.
In the past, there was a case where a teacher who dropped off a 6th grade elementary school student who had defecated on an experiential learning bus at a rest area at the parents’ request received a deferred sentence of 3 million won on charges of child abuse (admitted guilty, but sentenced). At that time, the teacher dropped the student off after the parent asked him to drop the student off at the rest area because he felt a lot of shame, and then left with other students. Afterwards, he called the student several times to check if he had met his parents, but the court ruled that making him wait alone at the rest area for an hour for his parents constituted child abuse.
An elementary school teacher who said he was in charge of experiential learning said on an online community, “Experiential learning and field trips are the grave for teachers.” There is also a ruling that says the teacher is responsible.”pointed out. A teacher in the metropolitan area said, “As students often travel with their families, many people are of the opinion that the era when experiential learning at school was the only travel experience has passed.” He added, “Experiential learning is not included in the compulsory curriculum, so starting next year, experiential learning is not included. “I hope there will be no learning at all,” he said.
“School is not a place where you only go to learn knowledge.”
However, considering the diversification of school educational activities and the harmonious growth of students, there are many opinions that all experiential activities cannot be stopped.
Lee Yun-kyeong, president of the True Education Parents Association, said , “School trips that last for several days may be eliminated, but one-day experiential learning and career experience visits should not be abolished. If we restrict educational activities one by one because they may expose us to safety accidents, we will end up with nothing.” “I don’t think I’ll be able to do any activities,” he said. She also pointed out, “School is not just a place to go to learn knowledge, but also a place to make friends and learn how to deal with situations and solve problems. Education is not about preventing problems from occurring.”
Kim Dong-seok, head of the Teaching Rights and Welfare Division of the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations, said, “It is difficult to provide diverse education through classroom activities alone,” and added, “Everyone will agree that to achieve educational goals, it is necessary to go on experiential learning and field trips, and that through such processes, children can grow in harmony.” He said.
“Children’s safety is not just the school’s responsibility.”
Experts pointed out that institutional mechanisms스포츠토토 related to safety accidents in experiential learning must be supplemented. Kim Dong-seok, head of the Teachers’ Rights and Welfare Division of the Korean Federation of Teachers, said , “If individual teachers were held civilly and criminally liable, which teacher would want to engage in activities outside of school that pose a high risk of safety accidents?” “The government must solve this problem,” he pointed out.
Practical support, such as manpower input, must also be strengthened. President Lee Yun-kyung said , “To change the structure in which teachers are fully responsible for problems that occur in the field, the government must support safety experts. For example, just as local governments deploy manpower when there is an event in the area, child safety issues are also handled by schools.” “Rather than leaving it to the local residents, we need to approach it as a problem for local residents,” he said. He also emphasized, “Even when teachers go on experiential learning, they are often unable to properly carry out educational activities because they are concerned about student safety. We need to provide human resources so that teachers can focus on field education.”
Leave a Reply