30 percent of parents dont’ meet with teachers

By Na Jeong-ju

More than 30 percent of parents of elementary and secondary school students don’t evenhave a chance to meet with their children’s teachers, a survey released Monday shows.

The result suggests lack of communication between parents and teachers. It also indicates that schools must engage in more active dialogue with parents to help them understand their children better, said the state-run Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI), which conducted the survey.

About 47 percent said they meet with their children’s teacher once a semester. About 31 percent never meet and talk with teachers about their children’s school life. Some 16 percent said they meet at least twice a semester.

The survey was conducted on 1,538 parents.

Parents meet teachers for 21 minutes on average, which is too short to have an in-depth discussion, according to the institute.

It urged the education ministry to set up measures to activate relationship between teachers and parents in an effort to address violence among peers.

“Active communication between teachers and parents is important in educating students, but that has been almost impossible under the current competition-oriented system,” a KEDI spokesman said.

“Promoting exchanges between them could be an effective way to curb violence among peers.”

Educational authorities have taken various measures since a series of suicides by students due to bullying and hazing at school triggered social concern. Police have also cracked down on organized student gangs.