Discussion Session to Explore Ways to
Protect Students' Human Rights at School
-in compliance with recent legislation requiring protection of students' human rights at school -
At Baeumteo (Learning Place) Hall of the NHRCK building on Wednesday, April 30 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK; Chair: Ahn Kyong-hwan) held a discussion session to better understand the human rights of students and explore ways to more effectively protect them.
Following the amendment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to guarantee the human rights of students, the discussion session was held by the NHRCK in association with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs; the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union; and the National Parents' Association for True Education. The objectives were to promote the new clause and discuss how to facilitate its application at school.
Article 18-4 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Guarantee of Students' Human Rights) is a new clause that came into effect in March 2008. It expressly lays down the guarantee of the human rights of students. The clause states, "The founder, manager, and principal of a school shall guarantee the human rights of students as set forth in the Constitution [of the Republic of Korea] and international human rights treaties.
The NHRCK is committed to a sustained effort to make the new clause more widely known and promote its practical application at school.
