Conflict Resolution Case Study: The National Education Information System (NEIS)

Abstract

The National Education Information System (NEIS), initiated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Korea, is an electronic system that manages diverse administrative and academic affairs of all the nation's schools and students through the Internet. In 2003, NEIS touched off a fierce conflict between the MOE and the Korea Teacher's and Education Worker's Union (KTU), and it was not until early 2004 that the case was resolved. The main issues were administrative and economic efficiency vs. personal information protection. The conflict could have been minimized if both the MOE and KTU had taken the participatory problem-solving method during 2002 and if a proper agenda (Agenda 3 in the paper) was developed in early 2003.