Webtoon artist Joo Ho-min plans alternative school for children in 'gray zone' between mainstream and special education

Webtoon artist Joo Ho-min said he is working to establish an alternative school for children with developmental disabilities — specifically those who fall into what he calls a "gray zone," fitting neither mainstream classrooms nor special education schools.

Joo raised the issue Wednesday on his YouTube channel in a video titled "I Will Go My Own Way," describing children with disabilities — including his own son — who struggle to find a place in either the general school system or special education.

"A lot of people asked why I did not send him to a special school, but special schools are really hard to get into," he said. "If a child can eat on his own, they say his functioning level is too high and turn him away."

He said that when an enrollment notice arrived for elementary school, he told the school his son had a disability and was told not to worry because the special education class was well run. "First grade went fine, but when something happened in second grade, quite a few people asked why I had not sent him to a special school," he said.

Joo said there are many children in exactly that situation — too capable for special schools, yet unable to get by in an integrated or general classroom. "There are actually a large number of kids stuck in this gray zone," he said.

He said he and his neighbors have been running a self-help group in their community for about three years, bringing together children in that situation, and have decided to build a school where those children can learn. "We are preparing all sorts of things right now and want to start small," he said.

Joo had earlier announced the plan on a live stream on the Chzzk platform, saying the school is set to open next year and that he intends to serve as the school bus driver.

Meanwhile, Joo also addressed the child abuse case against a special education teacher that is now before the Supreme Court.

In 2022, Joo's son, who has autism spectrum disorder, was separated from his class and placed in a special education room during lessons. Joo sent his son to school with a voice recorder hidden in his bag. The recording revealed that the teacher, identified only as A, had made remarks to the boy such as "Your habits are very nasty" and "I do not like you either. I really do not like you." Teacher A was indicted on charges of child abuse.

The trial court found that some of Teacher A's remarks constituted abuse and handed down a suspended fine of 2 million won ($1,310), ruling that the covert recording was exceptionally admissible given the vulnerability of the child with a disability. The appeals court, however, acquitted Teacher A in May last year, finding the secret recording inadmissible as evidence.

Prosecutors appealed, sending the case to the Supreme Court.

"I do not know when the Supreme Court will issue its ruling," Joo said. He noted that the central question in the case is whether the right to privacy or the protection of victims takes precedence, adding that around 40,000 teachers had submitted a petition to the Supreme Court arguing that the Communications Secrets Protection Act should take priority.

"What matters is that regardless of the outcome, I will go my own way," he said. "Win or lose, that is just a footnote — I will be at school studying with the kids in the gray zone."

마지막 항생제도 안 듣는다…중국서 생후 8개월 아기들 덮친 ‘최강 내성균’ 정체[후암동 논문 연구소]

https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10768864