legislation to protect children's right to labor; reinforce the labor inspection on the workplaces
employing children; take stronger proactive measures, such as the education on laborers' human
rights for employers; and contain the subject of laborers' human rights as a compulsory one in the
school curricula or take other measures to increase effectiveness of the subject.
2) Questions
98. What measures does the Government undertake to improve the poor working conditions of child
workers? What measures has the Government come up with, in response to the recommendation (for
improving the legislation and policies to protect the children's right to labor) that NHRCK made in
this regard in 2010?
3. Immigrant children
Immigrant children's access to public education
1) Current situation
99. "The 2010 Survey of the Immigrant Children's Right to Education" by NHRCK found some
cases where immigrant children were denied admission or transfer to the school. The Government
amended the relevant legislation in 2008 to ensure that even the illegally staying immigrant children
get schooling once their residence is confirmed, but the amendment is applicable only to elementary
schools. NHRCK recommended the Government to extend the new system over to junior high
schools (where Korean children receive compulsory and free education), and the Government revised
the relevant legislation again in December 2010 in light of the NHRCK's recommendation.
100. In accordance with the amended legislation, immigrant children can enter the school only by
proving their residence, but the NHRCK's survey in 2010 revealed that the practice of checking
their visas was persistent in the pre-admission process, including the review of the documents
submitted for their admission. For this reason, the immigrant children whose parents are unregistered
foreigners have a particular difficulty in getting admitted to the school.
101. The level of Korean language training for immigrant children differs from school to school,
depending on the capacity of the school concerned. Meanwhile, pre-school immigrant children are
mainly dependent on individual persons or private organizations for Korean language skills, because
there exists almost no public system of that purpose. Their poor Korean-speaking ability makes it
hard for them to adapt themselves to the school life.
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