Names of step parents can be entered on student records

Starting from 2015, students of primary, middle and high schools can fill in the names of their step parents in personal information section on student records. In an effort to protect the human rights of students, the Ministry of Education has circulated the newly-updated “2015 Guideline for Students Records,” which improved the way to fill in information on parents.

According to the guideline, the parents’ information should be based on family relation certificate but, with the agreement of one of parents, the name of step mother or step father can be entered on to parents’ information section. In case of a divorced family, a student can choose not to write the name of a parent who doesn’t live with the student. In this case, the information in a resident registration, which shows family members who currently live together, can be based on.

Up to date, parents’ information had to be based on the family relation certificate, which means that the names of biological parents had to be entered.

baron@donga.com