The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended that the Minister of the Ministry of Education correct a policy that deems it discriminatory not to recognize a cook's kindergarten experience at public child care centers unless the person holds a child care teacher qualification.
According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the 4th, the victim worked as a cook at a kindergarten for 15 years and 2 months before moving to a public child care center. However, Ministry of Education guidelines recognize only 50% of the experience for cooks who moved from kindergartens only if they have a child care teacher qualification. If they do not hold the qualification, none of the experience is recognized. By contrast, the experience of cooks who move from one child care center to another is recognized at 100%.
The head of the victim's child care center filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), saying it is unfair to apply different recognition rates for experience depending on the institution of employment even though the victim performed the same duties.
The Ministry of Education explained, "All child care staff, including cooks, must have a child care teacher qualification, and only work experience at kindergartens that operate after-school programs is reflected in child care centers' pay grade steps."
It also said, "If exceptions are allowed by local governments, the pay grade step system could become confused, and the fiscal burden linked to the government's personnel expense support could grow."
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reached a different conclusion. It found no reason to draw a distinction when the main duties—preparing infant and toddler menus, cooking, and hygiene management—performed by cooks at child care centers and kindergartens are the same.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said, "Cooks do not directly participate in infant and toddler care or meal guidance, so it is hard to deem the child care teacher qualification essential," and added, "Given that even cooks without the qualification have all of their experience recognized when moving between child care centers, there is no reasonable basis to restrict only the experience of kindergarten cooks."
Accordingly, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended that the Ministry of Education revise the relevant rules so that child care staff, including cooks, are not discriminated against in pay grade recognition for experience gained at kindergartens, and recalculate the victim's pay grade steps.