Education committees' reviews of potential school violence have increased every year from 2021 to 2025, Ministry of Education data showed Wednesday, despite related reports decreasing since 2023.
Deliberative committees at regional education offices that deal with school violence reviewed 29,405 cases of potential school violence last year, according to ministry data released by Rep. Kim Hee-jung of the main opposition People Power Party. This marked an increase of 87.9 percent from the 15,653 cases recorded in 2021.
However, reports of school violence recorded over the same period peaked at 61,445 in 2023, then decreased to 58,502 in 2024 and to 56,880 in 2025.
This shows that more cases are being passed on to deliberative committees rather than handled by the schools themselves. Only 48.3 percent of 2025 cases were handled by schools, down from 64.8 percent in 2021.
School principals are given discretion to close relatively light cases of school violence. But even light cases can be submitted to the deliberation committee if the victim and the parent request it.
Deliberation committee members typically include education officials, former and current school teachers, experts in law and other fields, and parents of students attending schools in the area.
"We should seriously consider the fact that more (school violence) cases are being reviewed by the deliberation committee, rather than being handled by the schools," Kim said.
She urged the ministry and education offices to thoroughly check the response system against school violence, and the support system for victims.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
