Education Ministry to survey all students on school violence

Expanding preventive education program to parents working at private companies


The Education Ministry announced Wednesday that it would conduct a nationwide school violence survey of all students from fourth grade in elementary school up to high school seniors.

The survey will ask about 5.58 million students across the country about the forms of school violence they have experienced during the past year, places where it took place, whether there are school gangs and other various questions.

“The ministry will poll all of students every January until violence disappears completely from schools,” said a ministry official.

“We are sending questionnaires during the winter vacation so that students can answer all the questions and submit them without being influenced or forced by teachers and peers,” the ministry official added.

The questionnaires for the initial survey will be sent by mail starting next week till the end of the month, and returned for analysis in mid- February.

“If there are urgent cases mentioned in an open-ended question on school violence incidents, we will report them to the regional education offices and relevant schools as well as the police immediately, and resolve the cases as soon as possible,” said the ministry official .

The survey results will also be used to draw up government measures against school violence.

The ministry began preventive education last week for parents working at the ministry.

It also conducted school violence prevention education for parents working at Lotte Department Store on Wednesday morning, and is scheduled to hold similar education sessions for parents at other affiliates of Lotte on Thursday.

“Parent education is as important as student education. We will increase school violence education for parents at both work places and schools,” said Education Minister Lee Ju-ho at the parents education session at the department store.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)