School violence record retention period doubles to 4 yrs

SEOUL, Starting this year, records of serious school violence will remain in the aggressor students' school life files for four years after graduation, the education ministry said Tuesday, as part of the government's measures to combat bullying at elementary and secondary schools. The toughened policy against school violence came after a revision of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act took effect as of last Friday, the ministry said. Under the revised law, the mandatory retention period for bullying-related disciplinary records, such as suspension from school, class change and transfer to another school, will be doubled to four years so that the aggressor students would be at a disadvantage in employment, as well as college admissions, it explained. The government has revised the decree after the presidential office canceled the appointment of a new national investigation chief in February last year following revelations of his son's school bullying. Source: Yonhap News A gency