Recommendation for Systemic Improvements to Enhance the Human Rights of Vocational High School Student Interns
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) issued a recommendation to the Minister of Education on February 20, 2025, urging systemic improvements to protect the human rights of vocational high school student interns. The recommendations include:
△ Ensuring the legal enforceability of relevant regulations and establishing standardized operational guidelines,
△ Enhancing fact-finding investigations and ensuring the disclosure of results, and
△ Developing mid-to-long-term action plans.
□ Ensuring Legal Enforceability and Establishing Operational Guidelines to Protect Student Interns' Safety and Rights
Preventing workplace accidents and safeguarding the safety and rights of student interns in industrial settings is a fundamental responsibility of the State. This is particularly crucial as vocational high school students, being minors, require enhanced protection. The government must ensure strong safeguards for their rights, including the right to education, health, safety, and labor protections.
The Ministry of Education should explicitly define the legal delegation of authority regarding the management of student intern program within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and its Enforcement Decree to ensure legal enforceability and prevent regulatory gaps.
The Ministry of Education annually publishes and distributes "Common Manual for Vocational High School Internships," which serves as the basis for the 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education to develop their respective "Vocational High School Internship Operation Manuals." However, these manuals focus more on administrative procedures for school officials rather than providing clear and enforceable safety standards for students.
Additionally, 12 metropolitan and provincial governments, including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Gwangju, Ulsan, Sejong, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Gyeongbuk, have enacted ordinances to protect student interns' rights and improve the quality of internship programs. However, each region applies different standards, and five regions lack any related regulations. To ensure uniform protection of vocational high school students’ safety and rights, the government must consolidate the fragmented laws and regulations and establish standardized operational guidelines with legal enforceability.
□ Need for Improved Fact-Finding Investigations and Mid-to-Long-Term Action Plans
Currently, the Ministry of Education and the 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education conduct internship fact-finding investigations based on the Vocational Education and Training Promotion Act. However, there is no consistency in the survey categories, investigation methods, or disclosure procedures, making data standardization difficult.
To address this issue, relevant institutions should cooperate to develop standardized survey categories, investigation methodologies, and disclosure procedures. A nationwide database should be established to ensure objectivity and reliability. Furthermore, the survey results should be shared with relevant institutions to enhance transparency.
Based on the publicly disclosed fact-finding survey results, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and other relevant agencies should regularly develop mid-to-long-term action plans to strengthen student interns' human rights and safety protections. Additionally, short-term implementation plans should be formulated, and the progress of these plans should be periodically reviewed to ensure continuous system improvements.
