The Jeonnam-Gwangju Teachers' Union said on November 10 that it opposes the National Education Commission's proposal for a "temporary special exception to teacher certification."

The system would grant temporary teacher certification to industry experts in emerging fields such as AI, gaming and webtoons, as well as in the arts and vocational education. It is intended to meet new educational needs arising from the introduction of the high school credit system and from changes in industry and technology.

In a statement issued that day, the union said, "Making exceptions to the teacher certification system on the grounds that it is difficult to secure the teachers schools need ignores the root of the problem." It added, "To respond to changes in industrial structures and technology, the continuity of educational content and the resulting demand for teachers must be reviewed first."

The union pushed back, saying, "If specialized instruction is needed in the short term, it can be provided by using qualified outside instructors, building a staffing pool at the education office level and providing budget support. If a particular subject needs to be offered continuously as part of the regular curriculum, the priority should be to establish a teacher training system suited to that need and ensure a stable supply of teachers."

The union also said, "Resolving imbalances in teacher supply is more urgent than creating exceptions to teacher certification." It urged the commission to disclose analyses of teacher supply and demand by region, school and subject, along with medium- and long-term plans for training and assigning teachers, before expanding exceptions to certification.

 The union argued that discussing new exceptions to teacher certification, when the current system has yet to secure enough teachers to meet existing demand, reflects misplaced priorities in teacher supply policy.

The union demanded that the proposal to grant temporary teacher certification to outside experts be excluded from the National Education Development Plan. It reiterated, "The National Education Commission must respond with responsible teacher supply policies, not a temporary fix in the form of special certification exceptions."

Meanwhile, the National Education Commission is reportedly considering introducing the temporary teacher certification exception as it draws up a medium- and long-term national education development plan. The move has drawn opposition from teachers' groups, including the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations and the teachers' union.

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Teachers' Union said on November 10 that it opposes the National Educa …

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