{"id":2202171,"date":"2023-09-07T17:00:43","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T08:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2202171"},"modified":"2023-09-12T17:25:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T08:25:32","slug":"rallying-for-justice-south-korean-school-teachers-demand-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/09\/rallying-for-justice-south-korean-school-teachers-demand-reform\/","title":{"rendered":"Rallying for justice: South Korean school teachers demand reform"},"content":{"rendered":"

About <\/span>120,000<\/span><\/a> South Korean school teachers, clad in black, rallied outside the National Assembly in Yeouido on Monday afternoon, marking their discontent and demanding better protection amid rising concerns about their safety. Central to their protest was the tragic suicide of a 23-year-old teacher at Seo-i Elementary School, who faced intense harassment from her students\u2019 parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Child Welfare Act\u2019s vagueness, the teachers assert, has ignited debate. Educators argue that the act encourages groundless child abuse allegations against them. These concerns were further accentuated when, in a short span, <\/span>other educators<\/span><\/a> also took their lives. The young teacher at Seo-i Elementary, who took her life in her classroom, had <\/span>reportedly<\/span><\/a> previously voiced her distress over alleged harassment from her students\u2019 parents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCreate a safe and respectful classroom environment,\u201d the crowd yelled at Yeouido. Demonstrators held double-sided placards bearing messages such as \u201cPass the Education Authority Protection Agreement Bill\u201d and \u201cAn investigation into the truth is the best tribute.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the Ministry of Education\u2019s <\/span>initial warning<\/span><\/a> on Aug. 27, which threatened disciplinary actions, many of the teachers staged a walk-out by taking a day off work to attend the rally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the ministry later <\/span>softened<\/span><\/a> its stance, education minister Lee Ju-ho appealed to teachers to prioritize their students and avoid the collective demonstration. However, the attendees\u2019 frustration with the ministry was evident. They sought an apology from Lee for his response to their gathering.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLee Ju-ho, who abused his disciplinary authority and fragmented the education system, must apologize,\u201d the crowd demanded. In a turnaround, Lee confirmed that the teachers who attended Monday\u2019s rally would face no disciplinary actions, according to <\/span>Yonhap News Agency<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

49 DAYS OF MOURNING<\/b><\/p>\n

Monday\u2019s gathering marked the 49th day following the young teacher\u2019s death in July, a day traditionally significant in Korean and Buddhist mourning practices. Before the rally began, attendees formed a line to lay flowers on the main stage, paying respects to the deceased.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rally commenced with a somber minute of silence. Emotions ran high as a letter from the deceased teacher\u2019s parents was read aloud, prompting many attendees to wipe away tears. A kindergarten teacher, currently on leave, was the first to share her experiences from the podium.<\/span><\/p>\n

She recounted an incident where a student left her kindergarten after allegedly being bullied by his classmates. On investigation, she discovered that the real reason for his departure was that she and the student\u2019s peers had simply reminded the child to follow class rules. Despite her attempts to clarify the situation to the child\u2019s parents, she allegedly faced threats and derogatory comments.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey threatened to label me an abuser on online forums,\u201d the teacher said, her voice shaking with emotion. \u201cEven as I fulfilled my duties, I was constantly anxious. I even felt like my life was in danger.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a collective grief. I\u2019m here, hopeful that today might spur change,\u201d Lee, a 27-year-old elementary school librarian from the Southern Gyeonggi Province, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe kind of harassment teachers face is not new. In my circle alone, there are three or four teachers who have sought therapy for their mental anguish.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the attendees, Kim Kwang-sook, a 60-year-old retired teacher, resonated with the sentiment. Comparing the young teacher\u2019s death to the feeling of losing a child, she expressed her anguish and frustration. \u201cIt\u2019s heartbreaking, but I can\u2019t even cry. I\u2019m angry. It\u2019s unfair,\u201d Kim told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflecting on her 20-year teaching career, she identified parental complaints as her reason for retiring. She described an instance when she faced a 30-minute tirade from parents after being falsely accused of swearing in the classroom. \u201cWhile good parents and students exist, the challenging ones are too common, often leaving teachers powerless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Though predominantly a gathering of educators, Monday\u2019s rally didn\u2019t escape the notice of passersby. A 31-year-old mother from Seoul surnamed Kim, stopped to listen to the protesters with her children. She expressed her despair about the current societal climate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething has to change. I don\u2019t know how our society reached this point. Something has to be done to protect our teachers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Participants wait their turn to lay flowers, Sep. 4, 2023 | Image: Korea Pro<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE<\/b><\/p>\n

Following calls for enhanced classroom safety and legal protections, the South Korean government has proposed several initiatives, including a <\/span>revision<\/span><\/a> to the Child Welfare Act. The education ministry has also introduced <\/span>policies<\/span><\/a> permitting teachers to better manage disruptive classroom behavior and joined forces with the justice ministry. This partnership aims to establish a task force geared toward protecting educators from unfounded child abuse allegations by parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, feedback from attendees at the rally indicates dissatisfaction with the government\u2019s actions so far. Lee, the librarian from South Gyeonggi, shared her reservations with <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>. \u201cThere is still a disconnect between official responses and what is happening on the ground. We need the authorities to listen more closely to our demands,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany teachers present at the rally today have lived exemplary lives. So much so that many might consider their participation here to be out of character in terms of their commitment to their jobs,\u201d Lee told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>, holding back tears. She voiced her perplexity over the education ministry\u2019s seeming tendency to view teachers as childcare providers rather than as educators.<\/span><\/p>\n

Retired educator Kim Kwang-sook presented a different angle, pinpointing other key factors contributing to the challenges teachers face. \u201cI think the real issue lies with parents and the way they educate their children at home. Simply revising laws might not tackle these underlying problems,\u201d Kim told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>. She delved deeper into her perspective, noting how parents often narrowly push their children to excel academically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChanging laws alone will not get to the heart of the problem,\u201d Kim said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by John Lee<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Culture & Society<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About 120,000 South Korean school teachers, clad in black, rallied outside the National Assembly in Yeouido on Monday afternoon, marking their discontent and demanding better protection amid rising concerns about their safety. Central to their protest was the tragic suicide of a 23-year-old teacher at Seo-i Elementary School, who faced intense harassment from her students\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2202172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-2202171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-culture-society"],"yoast_head":"\nRallying for justice: South Korean school teachers demand reform - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/09\/rallying-for-justice-south-korean-school-teachers-demand-reform\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rallying for justice: South Korean school teachers demand reform - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"About 120,000 South Korean school teachers, clad in black, rallied outside the National Assembly in Yeouido on Monday afternoon, marking their discontent and demanding better protection amid rising concerns about their safety. 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