Gov't faces growing calls to overhaul parent-teacher communication channels

A girl passes by a wall filled with messages of condolence at an elementary school in Seoul's Seocho District, Wednesday, where a teacher in her 20s took her own life inside her classroom, July 18. Yonhap

'I get phone calls from parents late at night and even on weekends'

By Jun Ji-hye

The government is facing growing calls to improve channels of communication between parents and teachers after a young elementary school teacher committed suicide inside her classroom recently, shedding light on the suffering of many educators from excessive complaints made by demanding parents.

Teachers' unions said Wednesday that instructors, under the current system, have to handle parents' complaints on their own, because they often air grievances through text messages or calls made directly to the educators.

This has raised the need to create a separate communication channel, such as an official email address, to deal with inquiries or complaints by parents, in order to free teachers from handling a torrent of messages.

Others urged the government to develop a mobile application that can let teachers and parents communicate without disclosing the personal phone numbers of instructors.

On July 18, a teacher in her 20s took her own life inside her classroom in Seoul's Seocho District. Although a police investigation continues to look into the death of the teacher, it has been speculated in online communities that she suffered from vocal complaints from the parents of some of her students.

A number of schools have already used mobile applications developed by private companies that enable teachers and parents to communicate with each other. Some education offices have also operated a system offering teachers separate mobile phones for official use.

But a considerable number of teachers still face situations where they have to disclose their personal phone numbers, because it is not easy to refuse requests from parents who cite the need to establish an emergency communication network.

“As my mobile phone number is disclosed, I have to get phone calls from parents and students late at night and even on weekends,” said an elementary school teacher with 15 years of experience in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. “I was so sad when learning of the death of the young teacher as I know too well how much she suffered.”

According to a recent survey conducted by an elementary school teachers' union, 99 percent of 2,390 instructors queried said they experienced infringements of their rights at least once during their career. Among them, 49 percent said it resulted from parents' complaints.

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, right, speaks during a policy consultation meeting with the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to discuss measures to improve teachers' rights, at the National Assembly, Wednesday. On the left is PPP floor leader Yun Jae-ok. Yonhap

The Ministry of Education said it has come up with an idea of creating a unified communication channel dealing with parents' complaints by utilizing a school's website or its official email.

“Government offices receive people's complaints via one channel and distribute each to the department in charge,” Vice Education Minister Jang Sang-yoon said during a media conference. “We are coming up with a similar idea.”

The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations shared the need to create a separate communication channel, but also raised the need to draw up measures to restrain those who make excessive and malicious complaints.

The associations also raised concerns that the separate communication channel could provoke another conflict between staff in charge and teachers at schools.

“The government should consider creating a panel attended by principals as well as outside consultants to deal with complaints to prevent such conflicts,” Kim Dong-seok, a senior official from one of the associations, said.

Some said the education ministry should develop and release a mobile application enabling teachers, parents and students to communicate without disclosing the mobile phone numbers of teachers. They said existing applications developed by private companies have not been that helpful as they are filled with various ads.

In response to growing calls to improve the situation faced by teachers, the ruling People Power Party and the education ministry vowed to revise the student human rights ordinance and draw up measures to better protect teachers' rights at the earliest possible date.

“We will improve the way of communication between teachers and parents and ramp up parents' accountability,” Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said during a policy consultation meeting with the ruling party, Wednesday.

The student human rights ordinance, which was enacted in 2010, bans corporal punishment and any discrimination by teachers. Although the ordinance has been praised for its good intention, it also faced criticism for only emphasizing the rights of students, while neglecting teachers' rights.