By Lee Kyung-min
Educators, historians and civic groups have vowed to take measures against the government’s plan to use state-authored history textbooks from 2017, saying they will develop their own teaching materials.
Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Jang Hui-guk said Tuesday his office would seek other history materials to teach the “truth.” Many other top educators nationwide are considering similar measures.
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union is considering boycotting the government-written textbook.
“We cannot teach the inaccurate content in government-authored history textbooks that glorify authoritarian military dictatorship and the pro-Japanese collaborators during Japanese colonial rule,” a union spokesman said.
“Teachers cannot teach students the wrong history while knowing it is wrong. We will make teaching materials of our own.”
Under the law, teachers cannot use other books as main textbooks, but have discretion in determining supplementary teaching materials. Ministry officials say they may not be able to prevent teachers from choosing supplementary materials that show a different history from the one in the state-written textbook.
Some students and their parents expressed concern, saying an ideological war may hamper their study for college entry.
The government plans to make Korean history ― using the government-authored book ― a compulsory subject at the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). So far, only a handful of universities have required a history test for applicants, but the government decided to make the change after criticism that young adults are ignorant of Korean history.
“If teachers teach with their own materials, students will learn history that will not be included in the CSAT questions,” a mother of a high school student said during a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square, Monday. “The liberal educators are instigating ideological disputes by taking students hostage.”
In 2013, several publishers that printed textbooks filed an administrative suit against the education ministry seeking to nullify the ministry’s order to correct what the ministry called “left-leaning history” because the books contained pro-North descriptions and critical views of former President Park Chung-hee, father of President Park Geun-hye.
Both lower and high courts ruled in favor of the government, ordering the publishers to correct the content, but they appealed. The Supreme Court is reviewing the case.