Gov’t warns universities against granting collective leave to protesting medical students

Any universities granting collective academic leave to medical students will face stern action, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho warned Friday, as many med students took collective action in protest against the medical school quota hike. The warning was issued during an emergency press briefing as medical students nationwide have been boycotting classes and collectively filing for school leave for nearly four months in protest. As students continued to stay away from classes, some universities are weighing the option of granting their leave requests to help avoid failing the academic semester, despite the government's stance that collective action is a not a valid reason for school leave. "There should not be any cases of granting school leave collectively filed by students in protest against a government policy," the minister said. "If any collective leave requests by medical students are approved, the ministry will sternly respond by taking action against the relevant universities, including a thorough ins pection," he noted. Under the current law, schools that disobey the education ministry can face punitive administrative action as severe as the suspension of student admissions. Lee said the ministry will provide every possible support for returning students to smoothly get back to their academic path undisturbed, but warned that anyone who illegally obstructs students' return to school will be sternly dealt with. In the first medical school quota hike in 27 years, the government increased admission quotas across the country's medical schools by some 1,500 seats last month to address healthcare service shortages in rural areas and unpopular core medical fields. Medical students are strongly opposing the quota hike, saying it will degrade the quality of medical education and medical services. The education minister said the government will ensure the maintenance of medical education quality by announcing a medical education advancement plan in September. He also said the government plans to dramatically increase the number of medical professors at state-run universities over the next three years and establish clinical education centers at all state university hospitals by 2028. "I urge you to return to school promptly," Lee appealed to medical students. Source: Yonhap News Agency