Professors at Yonsei University on Tuesday joined a nationwide move against the government’s attempt to reinstate state-published history textbooks for secondary education. The move came a week after over 15,000 educators across the country had protested what they claimed was a policy that “downplays democracy and creative education.”

Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea has been pushing to give the government the exclusive rights to publish school history textbooks. Currently, eight local publishers author the textbooks, which are certified by the ministry before they hit the market.

“The current textbooks are based on the universal historical viewpoint of academic circles and follow ministry guidelines. An attempt to reinstate state history books is an attempt to impose the historical interpretation of those in power (on students),” 132 Yonsei professors said in their statement.

“Forcing a monolithic view of history upon students infringes upon the impartiality and autonomy of education stipulated in the Constitution,” they said.

The joint statement follows a protest against the state textbooks by 160 professors from Korea University last Wednesday, another prestigious Seoul-based higher education institute. Late last month, 34 professors of history-related departments at Seoul National University also decried the ministry’s move.

The efforts to reinstate history textbooks for secondary education was put on overdrive last year, after privately authored textbooks had been accused of being inaccurate and ideologically biased. Hwang, upon taking office in August last year, has repeatedly stressed that students should be taught with “a single version of history.”

But such attempts have prompted fierce opposition, particularly from liberal educators. The left-leaning Korea Teachers and Education Workers Union last week announced that 15,701 teachers had signed a petition against the government pushing ahead with the contentious policy.

Proponents of the policy say teaching one version of history can contribute to reducing ideological standoffs among people. The Parents’ Association for Reviving Public Education claimed that many of the eight historical textbooks in the market were biased in favor of liberals, and accused the university professors who opposed state textbooks of also having bias and being “unqualified as educators.”

The standoff over history textbooks was noticeable during the ongoing parliamentary audit of government organizations.

Members of opposition parties pointed out that state history textbooks were used to whitewash the dictatorial rule of former President Park Chung-hee in the 1970s, raising concerns that the books are likely to cater to demands of those in power. But the ruling Saenuri party said that state textbooks would actually help history lessons remain politically neutral.

The government is expected to reach a decision on publishing a system of middle and high school history textbooks next month. 

By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)