School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
The Republic of Korea refers to school leaders as principals (교장). The 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) states that each school should have “principals, assistant principals, advanced skills teachers and teachers.” The principal of a school shall “take overall control of school affairs, guide and supervise his/her school personnel and educate students.”
The assistant principal of a school shall “assist the principal, manage school affairs, educate students, and act for the principal if the principal is unable to perform his/her duties due to an extenuating circumstance.”
According to the 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2023), the term “Principal” (교장) is used for elementary and secondary school leaders. The term “director” (원장) is used for preschool, early childhood education.
The term “the school head” or the “head of the school” (학교의 장) is also found in various policy documents. The 1997 Framework Act on Education (amended 2021) states that the head of a school, or a founder or manager of an institution for social education shall select and educate learners as prescribed by statutes and regulations and shall record and manage the course of education, such as academic records, etc. of learners.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
Article 20 of the 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) lists the duties of school personnel, including principals and assistant principals.
The 2019 Ministry of Education Notice No. 2019-179 establishes the Standard Curriculum for Principal and Director Qualification Training. The standards mark the skills that one needs to be qualified to become a school principal.
The Ministry-associated Korea Educational Development Institute has developed the “General School Principal’s Job Performance Standards;” however, a copy of it could not be found. The institute also developed the 2010 Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals, which includes evaluation indicators for principals.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: According to the 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012), the principal has the responsibility to “guide and supervise” school personnel. The principal is further expected to have knowledge of educational policies, issues, trends, and innovations; and be able to respond to them as the leader of their school. They must be able to establish the school vision and manage goals. The Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals states that “the school principal systematically presents school management goals and feasible implementation strategies to improve school performance.”
Developing teaching and learning: The management of school facilities and equipment is expected from the principal. The Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals evaluates principals on their curriculum management, which should take into account the abilities, interests, experiences, and needs of students.
Promoting collaboration: According to the Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals, school principals are expected to establish a healthy school environment and promote a multicultural environment. The principal must maintain skills related to the prevention and response of cases such as school violence, child abuse, and suicide prevention. Principals are also to participate in parent/school activities and utilize community resources.
Supporting staff development: Principals are to have the ability to manage on-campus personnel and organizations, and mediate and resolve various situations and disputes within the school. They manage the training of staff members. According to the Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals, principals determine how to improve the quality of teaching and to further specialize and enhance teachers’ teaching skills.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: According to the 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) and the qualification standards referred to in the attached Table 1, to become a principal, one must be a “person of high learning and moral character who meets the standards prescribed by Presidential Decree.” Teaching ethics are also mentioned in the Standard Curriculum for Principal and Director Qualification Training.
Others: Principals must be able to understand the basic knowledge and qualities that teachers should have and to reflect on their own educational activities. They should also understand humanities and have their own educational philosophy in place.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
According to the 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2022), public educational officials “shall be appointed according to their qualifications, results of retraining, performance, and other capabilities that have been actually proven”. The 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) states that principals or assistant principals shall meet the qualification standards referred to in the attached Table 1 and obtain a certificate of qualification examined and granted by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, as prescribed by Presidential Decree. At the secondary level, principals must have a secondary school assistant principal license or a principal’s license for a special school, three years or more of teaching experience, and regular retraining. At the primary school level, principals must have a primary school assistant principal license or a principal’s license for a special school, three years or more of teaching experience, and regular retraining. Both must complete pre-service training. The 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2022) also mentions that teachers who have fifteen years of experience may be eligible following deliberation by a school operation committee.
Appointment decision
School principals are selected through an open recruitment procedure under Article 29-3 of the 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2022). First, the head of a high school or a lower-level school request the appointment of a principal through public recruitment process. According to the 1998 Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended in 2017), the responsibility for the appointment of principals is delegated to the Superintendent of an Office of Education.
Employment equity measures
Article 11-5 of the 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2022) calls for the formulation of appointment plans based on equal opportunities for both genders. However, the act is mostly focused on the university level.
Working conditions
According to the 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2023), the term of office of a principal is four years. Principals and directors may be reappointed only once. If the principal decides to finish their term before retirement age, they may return to teaching if they desire and be treated as a senior teacher. Teachers and principals are considered full-time civil servants. The principal’s salary is considered a level four teaching salary, with additional allowances for administrative work, duties at the level of the position, maintenance, and teaching allowance. When calculating the annual salary by adding up the salary, full-time allowance, holiday leave expenses, and performance bonus, the total comes out to about 111.4 million won for an average primary school principal.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
The 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) states that both primary and secondary school principals must complete training courses prescribed by the Ministry of Education specific to the education level, which may include liberal arts subjects and teaching subjects necessary for performing the duties of a principal. In addition, Article 105 of the 1998 Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended in 2017) states that the Minister of Education and the Superintendent of an Office of Education shall provide qualification training to persons without a certificate of qualification as principal among those appointed as principals through open recruitment procedures. The National Academy for Educational Administrators provides training courses for Secondary Principal Qualification. Elementary Principal Qualification courses are provided on a more local level.
Induction and in-service training
The National Academy for Educational Administrators provides training courses for Education Administration Leadership, which is targeted towards current principals. Other courses are provided on a more local level. According to the Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals, the results of principal evaluations are used to conduct customized training.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) calls for the establishment of School Governance Committees at all elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and special schools. The School Governance Committees consist of representatives of teachers at the relevant school, representatives of students' parents, and leaders of the relevant community with a fixed number between 5-15 depending on the size of the school.
The School Governance Committee is responsible for deliberating on the following matters: formulation of, and amendments to the school charter and regulations; draft budgets and settlement of accounts of school; methods of operating the school curricula; Selection of textbooks and educational materials; matters relating to expenses borne by parents of students' parents, such as school uniforms, jogging suits and graduation albums; educational and training programs after regular study or during a vacation; methods of open recruitment procedure, appointment, evaluation, etc. of principal; Recommendations of persons invited as teachers; creation, operation and use of school operation support funds; school meals; recommendations made by the principals with respect to special screening for college entrance examinations; composition and operation of a school sports team; proposals and recommendation with respect to school operation; and other matters prescribed by Presidential Decree and ordinance of the relevant city. The School Governance Committee is also responsible for deliberating and passing resolutions on matters relating to the creation, administration and use of the school development fund.
The Superintendent of an Office of Education may provide training to members of the School Governance Committee.
3.2. Middle leaders
According to the 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012), middle leaders are referred to as advanced skills teacher and they are responsible for assisting the teaching and research activities of teachers’ schools as well as helping to train them further. To become an advanced skills teacher, teachers must have fifteen years of experience and must obtain a certificate of qualification examined and granted by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology based on the results of completing training determined by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology. Per Article 20 of the 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012), advanced skills teachers may also perform the assistant principal’s duties in the absence of an assistant principal.
The 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2022), refers to master teachers (석교사) and states that they are appointed by the Ministry of Education. Master teachers undergo re-evaluations reflecting their achievements and records of training every four years from the time he or she is first appointed as a master teacher. If he or she fails to meet evaluation criteria, his or her duties and allowances may be restricted. A master teacher may be given preferential treatment, such as the mitigation of class burden or the payment of allowances. Furthermore, the Ministry has prepared the Standard Curriculum for Qualification Training for Head Teachers. Further qualifications are found in Article 22(3) of the Early Childhood Education Act and Article 21(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
3.3. Parents
Article 31 of the 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) states that “any School Governance Committee established in any national or public school shall consist of representatives of teachers of the relevant school, representatives of students' parents and leaders of the relevant community”.
Furthermore, the 1997 Framework Act on Education (amended 2021) states that “Guardian[s] such as parents may present their opinions about education of their offspring or children under their care to schools, and the schools shall respect their opinions.” While a law or policy describing the formation and rules regarding Parent Teacher Associations could not be found, the Republic of Korea does have in place the National Association of Parents Groups for Quality Education which was founded in 1989.
The Ministry of Education has also provided a 2009 Parent School Engagement Casebook which describes parent involvement in schools, including parent associations which contribute to the development of school education by securing parents' right to education and their right to participate in school as a member of the educational community. Parent associations are organized by class, then by grade, and then for the school. Examples of activities include: promoting communication between the school and home such as the distribution of information to parents through SMS, establishing a system for collecting parent opinions, participating in the monitoring of school education, giving opinions on the school education plan, and helping to organize and participating in school educational activities. Parent associations are also able to make efforts to support student welfare through projects such as planning career events, providing psychology resources, or inviting professional instructors for club activities.
3.4. Students
Article 17 of the 1997 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended 2012) states that “the self-governing activities of students shall be encouraged and protected, and basic matters concerning the organization and operation thereof shall be determined by school regulations.” In addition, Article 30 of the 1998 Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (amended in 2017) states, "The head of the school encourages the self-governing activities of students in accordance with the provisions of Article 17 of the Act. We must provide support for what is necessary to protect them." Local laws and ordinances are more specific regarding the formation and responsibilities of student councils. For example, Sejong’s 1962 Special Self-Governing City Office of Education Student Autonomy Activity Support Ordinance (amended in 2022) principles states that “students shall have the right to engage in student self-government activities, such as the formation, convocation, operation, and activities of student self-government organizations; (2) Students have the right to participate in the process of establishing educational policies and educational activities, expressing their opinions, and receiving authority and information for practical participation; (3) When enacting or revising school rules, the head of the school shall endeavor to collect the opinions of the students in a democratic and reasonable process, and shall guarantee the right of the student self-government organization to submit its opinions; [and] (4) The head of the school shall endeavor to ensure the autonomous operation and execution of the student self-government organization and to provide administrative and financial support, such as the provision of necessary facilities.” The superintendent also establishes a Federation of Student Associations for the city, selects a target project for the students, and annually establishes a Basic Plan for the Support of Student Self-Government Activities.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
According to the 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2022), principals are responsible for the screening and hiring of teachers but may entrust the task to the superintendent of education in the city or province in which the school is located. The Standard Curriculum for Principal and Director Qualification Training mentions the principal’s responsibility for school finances and accounting management. While schools remain fairly autonomous in their method of operating the curriculum choice and the method of teaching, the responsibility for this falls mostly to the School Governance Committee of which the principal has input. The Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals mentions that school leaders are evaluated on facility management and budget operation. They continuously strive to ensure rationality and transparency in securing, managing, and spending educational expenses necessary to effectively carry out school education goals.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
Under Article 29-3 of the 1981 Educational Officials Act (amended 2022), the “person authorized to request the appointment may evaluate the performance of the duties, achievements, etc. of the publicly-recruited principals of schools and heads of kindergartens and use the outcomes thereof as materials for personnel matters, such as training.” According to the Teacher Competency Development Evaluation manual for principals and vice principals prepared by the Korea Educational Development Institute, principals and vice principals are evaluated once a year through self-assessment, peer evaluation and a parent satisfaction survey. The evaluation is administered by the Metropolitan/Provincial Superintendents of Education (if delegated, the Superintendent of Education Support Office). Areas evaluated include the school education plan, school scholarships, teacher personnel, facility management and budget operation. The superintendent of education (head) provides the individual principals and vice principals with results tables for each type of evaluation. With the evaluation results the superintendent establishes a training plan and other measures to improve the principal’s competency.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
Teachers are evaluated in the areas of school management, learning guidance, and life guidance through a process that uses peer evaluation, student surveys, and parent surveys. Principals contribute to the evaluation process as one of the peer evaluators. Metropolitan/provincial superintendents of education and school principals analyze the evaluation results, establish a utilization plan, provide customized training to teachers subject to evaluation and reflect this in the teacher training plan for the next school year. More detailed processes are determined at a provincial level. For example, the 2018 Teacher Competency Development Evaluation Manual describes the process for the Gyeongsangnamdo province.
