Self imposed ‘Democratic / Human Rights’ rules blossoming in the classroom

Primary/Secondary school Voluntary Activity Idea Award

Class four of Gwangju Yudeok Elementary school’s sixth grade have been busy since last week with the making of the classes rules. Each of the class’ 30 students has joined some departments in groups of six, like the Department of Justice, Department of Education, Department of Culture, Department of the Environment, Department of News. They are freely preparing drafts. The students in the Department of Justice are wracking their brains to come up with punishments to give the students who don’t bring their homework or are chatting too noisily. Some examples are as follows; For 10 days meditate every 10 minutes, For 10 days speak with the teacher after class for 10 minutes, and Go to ten classes and tell confess your mistakes. These rules are expected to be decided upon by next week by means of a class meeting.

Homeroom teacher Im Uhyeon reported, “the children are creating the class rules by themselves, which pertain to what can and can’t be done during class time, classroom order as well as punishments.”

A contest exhibiting these class rules being made at the beginning of the semester has opened in Gwangju. The Korean Teachers Union Gwangju branch request students submit a portfolio organizing the process of enacting the class rules as well as the results between the 22nd and 31st. On the 8th of next month Korean Teachers Union will choose three class rules from the elementary, middle, and high schools and award the nine winners with generous gift certificates redeemable for food.

Bak Samwon, the policy director of the Gwanju branch of the Korean Teachers Union stated, “The contest attempts to impart the wisdom to not offend one another in the classroom but achieve the academic goals. We are hoping for an overflow of ideas on how to reduce the unneccessary friction that occurs with emphasis on the rights of the student. (062)528-0772. Reporter An Kwanok