[단독]”I won’t look at it,” he said… Jo Hee-yeon in controversy over private school indulgence

Students and parents of Seo Sil-eum, who dropped out while urging Seoul Practical Music High School (Seo Sil-eum) to eradicate private school corruption, hold a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on June 11 last year and speak. Newsis

Kim Mo (45), a parent of Seoul Practical Music High School (Seo Sil-eum), who dropped out last year due to suspicion of fiscal corruption by the founder of the school and controversy over the management of a school-style bachelor’s school, filled the Seoul Office of Education. He also said, “The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education betrayed students and parents.”

Seoul City Superintendent Jo Hee-yeon posted a Facebook post on July 29 last year, promising to resolve private school corruption in Seoul Practical Music High School. [페이스북 캡처]

The ‘betrayal of the Office of Education’, which the parents of Seo Sil-eum say, is related to the promise of Seoul Superintendent Jo Hee-yeon. Superintendent Cho posted an apology on Facebook on July 29 last year to the students of Seol-eum. Unusually, revealing the name of the school and saying, “I am sorry for not keeping the precious dreams of the students. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has issued a comprehensive corrective order for Seo Sil-eum, who was controversial due to fiscal corruption and criticism.

Seosil-eum, located in Jung-gu, Seoul, is an alternative school approved by the Office of Education and has been audited by the City Office of Education several times since the accusations of corruption by Pastor Jang Mo, the founder of the school, were raised in 2018. However, since the school has not been normalized, more than 60 students dropped out last year asking for school to normalize.

All of the students, parents, and teachers of Seoul Practical Music High School are holding hand picks at the’Press Conference for Infringement of Learning Rights Accusation and Active Intervention of the Office of Education for the Normalization of Standing School’ held in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of April 23 last year. Newsis

Superintendent Cho, who apologized for the’Seosil-eum Incident’, professed, “I will not ignore this situation.” He said, “If the general corrective order is not fulfilled, we plan to take follow-up measures such as school closure in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. We will do our best to prevent further damage from our students and deal with them strictly.”

However, parents argue that Superintendent Cho’s promises were not kept. Parents disclosed based on an agreement made by the city office of education with the school founder. The agreement, written on October 30 last year, contains the content that “the office of education reserves administrative measures such as school closure on condition that the founder withdraws complaints and accusations filed against the Office of Education and the Office of Education staff.”

The contents of the agreement are protested by the withdrawn and enrolled parents. Kang Mo (50), a parent of a student who dropped out last year, said, “When Superintendent Joe heard that he would address the school closure measures and deal strictly, there was hope that the school would finally be normalized. Didn’t they come to an agreement to give the school an indulgence after trying to get out of it?”

Parents are outraged that the’implementation of the comprehensive corrective order’ mentioned by Superintendent Cho was not mentioned anywhere in the agreement. Originally requested by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education: ▶Improving the place of use of the facility ▶Fulfilling the duty to report to suspected sexual abuse ▶Improving the operation of food hygiene and safety management ▶The 14 comprehensive corrective orders, including the prohibition of disadvantage measures against public interest reporters, have been properly implemented to date. There was nothing done. Parents insisted, “It seems that they are trying to close the matter appropriately with the phrase’working for school normalization’ in the agreement.”

In order to normalize the school, the government-sponsored principal dispatched to Seosil-eum by the Office of Education resigned at the end of last year, and the principal is vacant. In the midst of this, Seo Sil-eum is recruiting new students from the 11th. Parents, Mr. Kim, criticized, “The problem has not been solved at the school where students drop out, and recruiting new students is creating another victim.” Mr. Kim pointed out that “schools are coming out to make money, and the office of education is watching it.”

Regarding this, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained that “there is not yet an adequate implementation of the comprehensive correction order issued by the Office of Education, but recruitment of new students was inevitable in order to solve the school financial problem and properly promote the normalization of the school.” He said, “I had the principal resignation due to personal circumstances, but as a joint board of directors was formed with personnel recommended by the Office of Education and Christianity according to the agreement, I expect the school to go through normalization procedures.”

“If we close the school, the biggest damage goes to the students. In order to protect the remaining students, the office of education could not impose measures to close the school.”

Reporter Garam Lee [email protected]