'Expanding Elementary and Middle School'...Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Mi-ran"To help students realize their dreams as much as they want."

Nov 12, 2024

2024 Seoul Forest Sports Festival was held at Seoul National University Gymnasium on the 2nd. Jang Mi-ran, the second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, is giving a greeting. Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /24.11.02/

"To help students realize their dreams as much as they want!"

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) welcomed the decision to rescue the rights of elementary and middle school students.

This is a welcome position on the 11th that the Ministry of Education decided to suspend the application of restrictions on elementary and secondary school student athletes who have not reached the minimum level of education to participate in competitions.

As the minimum education system for student-athletes was applied in earnest from the second semester of this year, confusion in the physical education and education fields was severe. Article 11 of the School Sports Promotion Act states that the principal may restrict student-athletes from participating in the competition if necessary if they do not reach a certain level of academic standards (hereinafter, the lowest academic level)." Middle school must have 40% of the average grade of the subject at the end of the semester (midterm + final exam + performance evaluation) and high school must have 30% or more of the average grade to be allowed to participate in the next semester. The applicable grades are from 4th grade to 3rd grade, the applicable subjects are 5 subjects such as Korean, English, mathematics, social studies, and science, and 3 subjects such as Korean, English, and social studies in high school.

All students agree with the basic purpose of studying and exercising at the same time, but various questions have been raised, such as whether it is right to prevent the dream of sports, whether it is right to force all students to study only for state-run education in an AI era where creativity and diversity will be respected rather than simple knowledge, whether it is right to force uniform study only for student-athletes at a time when ordinary students and aspiring celebrities are also separated from public education, and whether the regulatory policy is correct at a time when there is no support system to make up for insufficient study, and whether the same standard can be applied for special students. As the ban on participation became a reality, there were strong protests from students and parents on the field. In the case of high school students, exceptions were made to allow them to participate in the competition when completing the 「Basic Education Guarantee Program」, but in the case of elementary and middle school students, there were no supplementary or relief measures, and parents rushed to file administrative litigation and constitutional complaints to suspend the effect of the disposition of refusal to participate.

In November, the National Assembly proposed a revision to the "School Sports Promotion Act" that expands the number of participants allowed to participate in the competition from "high school student athletes" to "student athletes" and passed the plenary session of the Board of Education, securing the same remedy for elementary and middle school athletes as high school athletes. The head of the school shall not allow student-athletes to participate in competitions prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Education if they do not meet a certain level of academic standards (hereinafter referred to as the minimum academic standards). However, if a student-athlete enrolled in a high school or equivalent school has completed a basic academic background guarantee program, the participation may be allowed. The existing law, which was 'not limited to 'high school students', was expanded to 'student players' and ' may be allowedThe phrase ' should be allowed ' has been amended to a mandatory clause. The revision of the School Sports Promotion Act, which passed the subcommittee of the Education Commission's bill on September 25, will be revised after a future legislative and judicial committee and a plenary session.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on the 12th that `The Ministry of Culture has been making various efforts to improve the minimum education system. Through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism-Ministry of Education-level school sports policy consultative body, the system was requested to be improved and negotiated. It also submitted an opinion to the Constitutional Court that it is necessary to remedy the rights of elementary and secondary school student athletes in response to the constitutional petition seeking the unconstitutionality of the current minimum education system. The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee also adopted an opinion that the minimum education system needs to be improved and delivered it to the Board of Education, which is a competent committee," he said, explaining his policy efforts so far.

The 3rd Seoul Forest Sports Festival (hosted by Sports Chosun, Seoul Sports Council for the Disabled, Sports Chosun, Weepiq) was held at Seoul National University Gymnasium in Gwanak-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Mi-ran is giving medals to students.

Seoulim Sports Association is a combination of 'Seoul' and 'Wooulim', 'Woohlim' and 'Woohlim', which means that disabled and non-disabled students break down barriers in their minds by harmonizing like a forest through physical activities.

More than 650 students (250 students) from 24 middle and high schools in Seoul, including teachers and officials, participated in this year's competition, which marks its third anniversary. Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.11.2/

Deputy Minister Jang Mi-ran of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism welcomes the Ministry of Education's active measures to open up opportunities for fair competition and participation in the competition for student-athletes who have complained of difficulties with the minimum education system in the sports field. I would like to thank all the sports community, the National Assembly, and the media for their hard work"I hope it will be an opportunity for student-athletes to fully demonstrate their skills on the field." The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to work with the Ministry of Education to solve problems in the school sports field and support student athletes and leaders with effective support measures" conveyed his will.

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