August 24 Legislative Report: Revised School Violence Prevention Act Passes National Assembly

The revision to the Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures against School Violence has passed the National Assembly.

Sponsored by Rep. Kim Don-gon of the Democratic Party, this revision aims to bolster the school violence response system, which had previously lingered in legal and institutional blind spots. Rep. Kim, serving as the floor leader of the National Assembly Education Committee, has spearheaded practical legislation regarding school violence. The role of the floor leader involves controlling the schedule and coordination of bill deliberations. The securing of legislative momentum from both the proposal and review stages is considered the key background for this passage.

Why Legislate School Violence Now?

Given the nature of education-related legislation, it often approaches issues through the lens of livelihood and safety rather than partisan political conflict. In reality, the Education Committee of the 22nd National Assembly has fostered a non-partisan review environment, with floor leader positions held by Rep. Kim Don-gon (Democratic Party) and Rep. Mun Yang-gyu (Rebuilding Korea Party). Rep. Jo Han-gik of the Rebuilding Korea Party also co-sponsored revisions to the Early Childhood Education Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to strengthen the protection of teachers' educational activities. Legislation related to school safety and the protection of educational sites has thus been pursued simultaneously by multiple members. The revision of the School Violence Prevention Act is an extension of this trend.

When viewed alongside the after-school care subsidy bill for lower elementary grades proposed by Rep. Mun Yang-gyu and the school bus safety enhancement bill proposed by Rep. Kim Hong-yeol of the People Power Party, it appears that a 'school safety legislative package' covering elementary, middle, and high school students as well as infants is being three-dimensionally formed within the National Assembly. The passage of individual bills should be viewed not as isolated events but as pieces of a larger institutional overhaul in the education and safety sectors.

Significance for the Legislative Landscape

This passage is noteworthy as it demonstrates the effectiveness of the ruling party's legislative drive. Recently, under the leadership of Representative Kim Min-seok, the Democratic Party entered a legislative and policy speed battle ahead of the regular session of the National Assembly. President Lee Jae-myeong also invited all party lawmakers to the Blue House to solidify legislative cooperation. The passage of the School Violence Prevention Act revision confirms that this party-government cooperation mechanism is also functioning in the education sector.

However, unity within the National Assembly is not absolute. In recent plenary votes, the People Power Party showed internal cracks, with 7 members breaking party lines on the Public Health Management Act revision, 8 on the Resource Saving and Recycling Promotion Act revision, and 10 on the alternative bill for the Korea Rural Community Corporation Act. The education sector is no exception. If school violence measures touch upon sensitive issues such as the level of disciplinary action for offending students or record management, disagreements within the opposition party may surface. The voting patterns in the plenary session are expected to serve as variables for the establishment of enforcement decrees and follow-up legislation.

Impact on Educational Sites and Policy

Once the bill is enacted, response procedures at school sites are expected to become clearer. Until now, school violence handling relied heavily on school discretion, leading to criticisms that victim protection was inconsistent. With the passage of this revision, setting standards from prevention to post-incident measures into law will provide schools and education offices with a consistent manual. Coupled with legislation protecting teachers' educational activities, this is expected to create a virtuous cycle where teachers feel less burdened and can respond more actively when intervening in school violence cases.

There is a saying that education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. The ultimate goal of revising the School Violence Prevention Act is not punishment itself, but ensuring that the fire of learning is not extinguished in a violence-free classroom. The remaining tasks are the follow-up enforcement decree and budget reflection. Whether the Education Committee and the Budget and Accounts Special Committee reflect the intent of the revision into the actual budget will be the next key point to watch.