Hundreds of local non-regular instructors who teach English conversation at primary and secondary schools submitted a petition to the rights watchdog Thursday against massive layoffs, calling on the government to keep its pledge to guarantee their job security.

The Association of Non-regular Workers at School said they asked the National Human Rights Commission to step in to prevent the government from terminating the contracts of some 600 irregular English conversation teachers upon their expiration in August in breach of its earlier commitment.

As part of efforts to provide primary and secondary school students with quality speaking classes, the government introduced the so-called English conversation professional instructor system in 2009, and has since hired some 6,000 teachers.

Though they were hired as four-year contract employees, the government vowed to improve their treatment, including job security. Last year, the education ministry proposed a law revision to extend their term to eight years, but it was nullified as the Ministry of Government Legislation expressed opposition.

"The ministry is now turning a blind eye, though they made commitments to our stable employment and the consistent improvement of working conditions," the association said during a press conference in front of the watchdog building in Seoul. 

"By the end of August, 600 will lose their jobs, and the remaining 5,300 would also be fired in phases. The rights watchdog should intervene on this issue."

The government's decision in 2011 to abolish the official recruitment system and allow each school to hire such instructors sparked controversy surrounding the system. Instructors have complained about unfair treatment, while some parents and students have bemoaned unqualified teachers.

The government plans to give irregular workers in the public sector semi-regular positions by 2015 to eliminate discriminatory labor practices and improve working conditions, but the English conversation instructors were excluded, as they made the contract with each school, not with the government.

"To achieve the initial goal of the system, the government should be in charge of recruiting and managing the instructors.

That would also help solve the problems of unfair treatment and discrimination," said Ko Sun-kyung, who leads the Korean Association of Primary and Secondary English Conversation Teachers. (Yonhap News)