ED Work to alleviate violence in schools

Members of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations protest for improved protection of teachers' rights in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Korean schools are known for being intensely competitive. Sadly, a pressure cooker environment often stirs violence. Violence among students is a serious problem, but attacks against teachers are just as serious an issue.

Recently, a high school teacher in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, was stabbed by a student. The student fled the scene before turning himself in to the police. The teacher suffered multiple stab wounds and underwent surgery. The student told the police that the teacher had reprimanded him harshly when he taught the student in middle school.

Seeing violence in schools is tragic. Korean schools and teachers should ideally be recognized as authority figures responsible for educating the country's future workforce. But reality paints a different picture: They are increasingly suffering from student management issues, which can even manifest as violence. Along with efforts to improve the rights of students, the rights of teachers must be safeguarded. Society and the education community must make serious efforts to elevate teachers' rights.

A recent survey of 3,551 teachers working in kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools nationwide showed that 86 percent experienced indirect and direct infringement on their rights. The types of infringement ranged from verbal abuse and glaring to outright violence. Intentional interference in class and refusal to follow orders was very commonly reported by teachers, with 93 percent of those surveyed saying they had experienced the issue in their classrooms. These findings translate to a working environment that could very well lead to anxiety, disillusionment and a lack of motivation. Our educators deserve better.

Last year's data from the Ministry of Education also points to a disconcerting upward trend in the number of attacks on teachers. There were 106 cases reported in 2020, but by 2024 the number had increased to 502 cases. There have been serious incidents, including a Seoul primary teacher who took her own life in 2023 following a conflict at her job. These highlight the need to strengthen the rights of teachers.

Teachers associations and unions nationwide have been consistently calling for stronger protection of teachers' rights. In light of the recent stabbing incident in Gyeryong, the Korean Federation of Teachers' Association (KFTA) has called for the mandatory documentation of any violent incidents against teachers and the inclusion in records for the offending students, along with state responsibility in legal suits filed by parents or students against teachers. Other groups have urged education authorities to preemptively engage with parents to assess students showing signs of maladjustment or mental health issues in order to provide them with necessary assistance.

The goal of enhancing the rights of teachers is to create a safe and mutually respectful classroom. Preemptive measures such as early detection and assistance for students who need help should ideally come first. However, students who have committed violence against teachers may already require more sensitive disciplinary actions that go beyond just documenting punitive measures. Additionally, the state carrying the legal burden of lawsuits filed against teachers would allow educators to focus on their core duties.

An environment ensuring systematic protections against violence is an important goal for all workplaces. It should be the same for schools, helping to nurture mutual respect between teachers and students.