Jeju Office of Education Announces 2024 Student Human Rights Survey Results
In Jeju, elementary and middle school students have experienced various human rights violations at school.
On the 17th, the Jeju Office of Education released the 2024 Student Human Rights Survey Report.
This report is based on a survey conducted from September 30 to October 20 last year, targeting 2,722 students from elementary, middle, and high schools (797 elementary students, 1,388 middle school students, 537 high school students) along with 595 staff members and 1,009 guardians in the province.
According to the report, the percentage of respondents who said that students’ rights are guaranteed in school life was 92.3% for elementary students, 89.8% for middle and high school students, 98% for staff, and 86.7% for guardians.
Among middle and high school respondents, 91.1% of middle school students, 86.4% of high school students, 88.1% of female students, and 91.7% of male students said their rights were guaranteed.
Compared to the previous year, the percentage of elementary students, staff, and guardians saying their rights are guaranteed increased by 0.6 to 1.9 percentage points, with middle school students increasing by 12.1 percentage points. High school students showed a decrease of 0.2 percentage points.
However, when asked if they had experienced any human rights violations at school at least once within the past year, more than 4 out of 10 elementary students reported experiencing violations regarding their right to rest, freedom of expression, access to a pleasant environment and culture, and privacy.
About 4 out of 10 middle school students reported experiencing violations regarding their right to express individuality, to have learning rights guaranteed, and to rest.
High school students reported experiencing violations of the right to express individuality (28.7%), the right to rest (27.1%), and student participation rights (24%).
Some students also indicated that their rights to be free from all violence, to not suffer unjust discrimination, and to freely express their opinions were not respected.
For promoting student participation, elementary, middle, and high school students, staff, and guardians all rated “providing non-discriminatory opportunities” as the most necessary action.
Park Sun-nam, the director of the Student Rights Education Center, stated, “Compared to last year, the overall rate of positive responses has increased, and the responses indicating rights violations have decreased. This year, we will support the expansion of democratic decision-making and expression opportunities to further spread a culture of respecting human rights.”