President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 21st Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on May 12. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-suk

“You shouldn’t throw out the whole fermentation jar just because you’re afraid it might attract maggots.”

The Korean proverb, similar in meaning to the Western idiom “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” was invoked by President Lee Jae Myung during a Cabinet meeting as he addressed the decline of field trips and multiday school trips across Korea.

His comments added to a growing public debate over why schools and teachers are scaling back educational trips, with many educators citing the burden of parental complaints — sometimes over the smallest details.

Lee’s comments helped fuel discussion about restoring a wider range of school trips. He suggested subsidizing the cost of additional safety personnel if teachers feel too burdened by the responsibility of supervising students. The Ministry of Education has said it is coordinating with the Ministry of Justice on legal revisions that would strengthen protections for teachers when safety accidents occur.

But teachers on the front lines remain concerned. They say stronger safety measures and reduced legal burdens are important, but not enough. Unless excessive — and in some cases seemingly malicious — parental complaints and violations of teachers’ authority are also addressed, educators say they will remain demoralized and reluctant to organize such trips.

Students on a school trip take photos and make memories at Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, on April 30. Yonhap

Teachers back school trips but warn of added administrative burden

When the Hankook Ilbo interviewed parents and teachers Tuesday, both groups appeared to broadly agree that field trips and school trips remain necessary.

“School trips are a valuable opportunity for students who otherwise spend their days in classrooms to take part in outdoor activities and build real-world experience,” said Choi Yi-jin, 42, whose child is in the second year of middle school.

Source: Korea Times News