Floor leader Cheon Ha-ram of the Reform Party criticized President Lee Jae-myung for a second straight day over his remarks about field trips.
On the 29th, at a luncheon at the Blue House main building with President Lee Jae-myung and lawmakers from non-negotiating blocs and independents, Floor Leader Cheon said, "The president talked about field trips, retreats, and school excursions, and said, 'You can't ferment soybean paste because you're afraid of maggots,' but from what I've heard from many teachers, the problem isn't being afraid of maggots. It's that when the crock breaks while making the paste, frontline teachers end up taking the sole blame and responsibility."
Cheon said, "I have also been repeatedly raising the issue that recently even playing soccer is not allowed during elementary school lunch breaks and that sports days are being canceled," adding, "When a malicious civil complaint comes in, no one shields them and frontline teachers have to handle the complaints, and when it comes to civil litigation, no one helps and teachers are told to deal with it on their own. This is a very serious problem."
Cheon went on, "If the president pushes for a system to handle complaints so that frontline teachers do not have to receive or worry about them, and for a state responsibility system for teacher lawsuits so teachers do not have to go back and forth to police stations or courts when an accident occurs, classrooms will become much more vibrant and students will be able to enjoy a wider range of opportunities for growth."
Cheon also criticized the president the day before on her Facebook page, calling it "an irresponsible and dangerous distortion of reality made without any understanding of what's really happening in classrooms, based on skimming a few articles and judging as one pleases."
Earlier, on the morning of the previous day at the 18th Cabinet meeting combined with the 6th Emergency Economic Review Meeting held at the Blue House, President Lee told Minister Choi Kyo-jin of the Ministry of Education, "These days, I hear schools rarely go on field trips or school excursions. Aren't field trips and school excursions part of class?" He added, "There are things learned through group activities, and on-site experiences are a major part of learning, but there seems to be a tendency to avoid them mainly out of worries about potential safety accidents or the possibility of being saddled with management responsibility."