Bill drafted to guarantee undocumented childrens right to education

A bill has been proposed to guarantee undocumented children’s right to education in Korea. Under the bill, foreign minors would receive the same level of education as citizens at elementary, middle and high schools despite not having valid visas to stay here. It was drafted Thursday by Rep. Lee Hack-young and nine other legislators from the liberal Democratic Party of Korea. The bill identifies all foreign children, “including undocumented ones,” as subject to the basic rights enshrined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In 1991, Korea joined the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty that affirms children’s right to education, including access to free, compulsory primary education. But many undocumented children in the country have not been able to fully enjoy the right, according to the lawmakers. “While there have been no major problems with enrollment for registered foreign children, there have been problems with enrollment for undocumented ones, preventing them from receiving even basic education,” they said in the proposal. “The enfo

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