The Ministry of Education said on the 29th that it is pushing to revise related laws to protect teachers from safety accidents that occur during field trips such as picnics.
The Ministry of Education said in a briefing that "the specific laws and details to be revised will be prepared through gathering on-site opinions, legal review, and discussions with the National Assembly."
The Ministry of Education also said it is "reviewing ways to actively support legal responses and compensation so that teachers do not face difficulties during lawsuits."
Under the current Act on the Prevention of and Compensation for School Safety Accidents (School Safety Act), faculty and staff are not civilly or criminally liable for safety accidents if they fulfill their duty to take safety measures. Teachers' groups have urged institutional improvements, saying the immunity requirements are not specific enough and the intent is difficult to realize in the field.
It appears the Ministry of Education moved to draw up related measures after President Lee Jae-myung the previous day pointed out that picnics and school trips have been shrinking. In a Cabinet meeting on the previous day, Lee said, "Picnics and school trips are also part of classes, and there are things students learn through group activities," adding, "There is a tendency not to go on picnics and school trips out of concern that if a safety accident occurs, they may be held responsible for management."
The Ministry of Education plans to announce next month measures to strengthen teachers' immunity when safety accidents occur during field trips.