Issue School autonomy, teachers' authority and education governance reform

Summary

The report finds that Korea's centralised education system concentrates decision-making power and leaves little real autonomy, while debates over teachers' authority continue and national consensus remains weak. School steering committees operate as a formality, and student, teacher and parent councils lack authority. Even after the National Education Commission was established in July 2024, its role in building social consensus on the direction, principles and operation of future education needs strengthening. The report proposes greater authority for individual schools and a stronger law protecting teachers' educational activities to safeguard their professional authority. It also calls for making school steering committees, teacher councils and parent councils substantive so that members of the school community genuinely participate.