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Teachers exposed to abuse and assault at schools due to lack of protection
A student lays flowers in front of an elementary school in Seoul's Seocho District, Thursday, to offer condolences to a teacher who took her own life in a classroom on Tuesday. Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Cases of violence by students against teachers more than doubled since 2018
By Jun Ji-hye
An elementary school teacher in Seoul took her own life recently, apparently unable to handle complaints from demanding parents. Also grabbing headlines was another incident where an elementary school student assaulted his teacher, causing her to require medical treatment. Those incidents have shed light on a lack of support and protection for teachers from abuse and assault.
Teachers' unions claimed that the two incidents are just the latest in a series of cases showing how seriously the rights of educators are being infringed upon.
On Tuesday morning, the elementary school teacher in Seoul's affluent Seocho District took her own life inside her classroom, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.
The death of the teacher, who was in her 20s, triggered a torrent of rumors in online communities that she had a tough time dealing with a school violence case that occurred in her classroom which elicited vocal complaints from the parents of the students involved.
The unions urged education authorities to launch a thorough investigation to find out what led to the teacher's death.
“We offer our deep condolences to her,” the Seoul branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union said in a statement. “We urge full transparency in the investigation of the incident. Education authorities should also draw up appropriate countermeasures to guarantee a safe educational environment for teachers.”
Amid growing controversy, the principal of the elementary school issued a statement denying the rumors.
“There was no case of school violence in her classroom,” the statement read. “The young teacher, who passed the teacher certification test in March last year, was an excellent educator. These are the facts related to her.”
But the statement failed to appease mounting anger among teachers nationwide.
The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations held a news conference in front of the school later in the day, demanding the truth be told before education authorities lose the trust of the public.
A student leaves a message in front of an elementary school in Seoul's Seocho District, Thursday, to offer condolences to a teacher who took her own life in a classroom on Tuesday. Yonhap
The other case occurred on June 30 when a female elementary school teacher in Seoul's Yangcheon District suffered injuries requiring three weeks of treatment after being assaulted by a boy in sixth grade.
The teacher wrote on an online community that the student hit her in the face dozens of times and knocked her down on the floor. The student also threw scissors and a mirror at her, while other students in the classroom watched in horror.
The teacher has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has been unable return to the classroom.
She plans to file a criminal complaint against the student, her lawyer said, noting that over 2,000 teachers across the country submitted petitions both online and offline calling for harsh punishment against the student.
“The incident showed the seriousness of the infringement of teachers' rights and their weakening authority,” an official at the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations said. “The National Assembly, the Ministry of Education and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education should punish the student and draw up measures to prevent a reoccurrence of similar incidents and protect teachers.”
The official noted that apart from cases reported through the media, there are many more cases where teachers suffer from violent students and excessive complaints from parents.
According to the associations, 347 cases of violence by students inflicted on teachers were reported last year, more than double from 165 tallied in 2018.
In addition, the Korean Educational Development Institute said in a report that 55.8 percent of 2,869 teachers across the country cited uncooperative parents as a major factor hindering their work.
Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said he is taking the matter seriously.
“Drawing up special measures is an urgent task. I will work to revise related laws at the earliest possible date,” he said.