Educators under fire over bullying

By Na Jeong-ju

Lawmakers criticized the education ministry Thursday for its poor handling of violence at schools, saying it should introduce effective training programs for teachers so that they can properly address bullying as well as help victims.

Heads of municipal and provincial education offices across the nation gathered at the education subcommittee of the National Assembly to report their anti-bullying measures. The session came following the suicide of a middle school student in Daegu, who was bullied by two classmates, which triggered a public uproar.

Both ruling and opposition lawmakers denounced the ministry’s competition-oriented school policy.

“Most curricula are focused on enhancing test scores. The first thing to do to root out school violence is to revamp the system,” said Rep. An Min-suk of the Democratic United Party.

“We should work with a stronger sense of crisis in tackling this problem. It’s about the country’s future generations.”

The lawmaker called for the immediate resignation of Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, saying he had failed to take appropriate measures despite a series of student suicides due to bullying.

Rep. Cho Jeon-hyeok of the Grand National Party called for the ministry’s tough handling of crimes that occur in classrooms, saying specialized education should be provided for both bullies and victims.

The advice came as the government and regional educational offices are drawing up a set of joint measures to counter school brutality. The plan will be announced in a few weeks, officials said.

The ministry plans to expand the so-called “Wee Class” program, under which victims of violence at school can receive counseling from experts. More police officers will also be dispatched to schools to help victims of bullying and gather intelligence on organized student gangs.

Minister Lee said school violence is the main stress factor for many students. “There is a common understanding among educators that the prevention and eradication of school violence should be the top policy priority this year. We will do our utmost to find effective solutions,” Lee said.

Participants of Thursday’s meeting included superintendents of 16 regional educational offices and members of the National Assembly Education, Science and Technology Committee.

The recent revelations of violent incidents at schools have triggered anxiety over bullying and hazing among peers.

A survey of 1,140 middle and high school students, conducted by Yonsei University, showed 48 percent of the respondents said they were victimized by other students over the past year, while 42.3 percent said they have thought of committing suicide within the past week.

“Our study found that chances are high for those suffering from school violence to consider suicide,” said professor Kim Jae-yop, who led the study. “Helping victimized students as early as possible is the key to preventing them from making an extreme choice.”