Weekly News Brief, Aug 28 ~ Sept 3 South Korean Human Rights
Dustin Cole September 1, 2011Increased Focus on Students’ Rights Leave Teachers’ Rights Behind
Eugene Shin
During the past year, the incidence of teachers’ rights violations have increased rapidly in the Gwangju/Jeonnam regions. These are cases where students have directly challenged their teachers with verbal abuse. This increase is particularly notable at a time when provincial education offices are increasingly focusing on the rights of students. To prevent neglection of teachers’ rights, the Office of Education in Daegu decided to create a charter for education rights by 2012.
While banning teachers’ from punishing students is not directly related to the violation of teachers’ rights, it does remove what some call “the least possible method of maintaining order inside the classroom.” It was expressed that while the number of reported teachers’ rights abuse cases are still very small, it does influence the overall scene of education, and it is important that an appropriate guideline for the rights of both students and teachers is created.
Korea Women’s Federation Submits Petition to National Human Rights Commission
Eugene Shin
The Korea Women’s Federation presented a petition to the National Human Rights Commision regarding inappropriate physical examination conducted by the airline Garuda Indonesia. Garuda Indonesia caused controversy in their recruitment process of Korean stewardesses in Korea in July, when they asked female candidates to take their clothes off for physical examinations. Furthermore, the candidates’ bodies, including their breasts, were physically handled during the examination.
The Korea Women’s Federation said the candidates had already passed Garuda Indonesia’s physical examination, and this examination for tatoos and breast implants, as claimed by Garuda Indonesia when this case was reported, was inappropriate and excessive. Concerned about the potential for privacy violations and employment discrimination, the federation petitioned for the National Human Rights Commission to investigate Garuda Indonesia’s stewardess recruiting process and guidelines.
Dementia Lacks Support From Government Policies
Eugene Shin
Often, the biggest challenge for people with dementia and their families is the high cost of an attendant. Not covered by health insurance, the cost of an attendant is particularly a burden considering dementia treatments frequently last over a year. The situation has worsened to the point where senior citizens living alone and people of lower socio-economic orders are giving up all treatment. Moreover, as health insurance does not cover the cost for hospitalization past three months, patients with dementia are having to move from one hospital to another every three months.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare declared it will establish a full-fledged program for dementia support ad management. Starting in February 2012, the National Dementia Managing Committee will establish a comprehensive plan for dementia support, and amend it every five years. Their plans include designating a central center for dementia, having a dementia counseing service at local public health centers, and providing subsidies for research as well as dementia diagnosis. However, some doubt that this will directly address the challenges faced by dementia patients and their families.
