Teachers¡¯ rally disrupts classes

About 6,300 teachers, by police estimates, belonging to the National Teachers Labor Unions gathered Tuesday at Seoul Station calling for the abolishment of the civil servant pension law revision. The absence of the teachers at their schools led to disruptions of regularly scheduled studies at many schools around the city.

As some schools faced absences of up to 20 teachers from their classrooms, the school called for shortened classes, joint studies and video classes.

Students at an unnamed middle school in Seoul only received four periods of study and watched videos during the remaining periods. At some schools, the principals and assistant principals took up the chalk in place of the absent teachers.

According to the Ministry of Education, about 2,000 of the teachers had submitted formal requests of absence for the day, while the other 4,000 left school without prior notice.

The Ministry of Education has determined that the teachers have violated the National Civil Servant Laws, which ban such leaves without notice, and the Teachers Labor Union Laws, which ban such rallies, and is looking into levying criminal charges against the teachers.

The teachers at the rally pressed for an increase in allowance and guarantee of teachers rightful authority in classrooms, the abolition of the revision to the civil servant pension laws that they say demoralizes the teachers, and the abolition of the Comprehensive Teachers Development Policy, targeting teachers for reform.

The teachers carried placards, some stating, "Free the arrested teacher! Secure the 3 labor rights!" as they marched along Toigye-ro on their way to Myongdong Cathedral.

Lee Jin-Yeong ecolee@donga.com