The government is reportedly pushing a plan to exempt teachers from civil and criminal liability when safety accidents occur during field experience learning, as long as there is no gross negligence by the teacher.
An official at the Ministry of Education said on the 25th, "We are preparing measures to grant immunity to teachers if there is no intent or gross negligence in safety accidents that occur during educational activities," and added, "We are discussing various options and will announce specific details soon."
This follows President Lee Jae-myung directly raising the issue of the decline in field experience learning on the 20th and ordering the Ministry of Education to "create a law so there is no criminal punishment or find a way."
Among frontline teachers, there has been a deepening trend of avoiding field experience learning altogether due to the risk of criminal punishment when accidents occur during such activities.
The Ministry of Education plans to announce measures to revitalize field experience learning this week. The plan is also expected to include steps to reduce administrative burdens, such as support for attorney accompaniment during teachers' lawsuits and operating a pool of safety personnel.