South Korean teachers participate in a rally in front of the National Assembly on Sept. 4, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. School teachers rallied to mourn the recent suicide deaths of fellow teachers distressed by disgruntled parents and unruly students, and to call for measures to prevent such tragedies.South Korean teachers participate in a rally in front of the National Assembly on Sept. 4, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea.
He is one of many South Korean teachers who say they have suffered from parents' harassment and excessive demands. This summer, they came out to the streets voicing anger and demanding protection for their rights. They did so following the suicide of a young elementary school teacher in Seoul who had struggled with disruptive students and complaints from parents.
"There is no institutionalized response system or obligation for school leadership's involvement," Hwang says. Although the law was originally intended to protect children at their homes, Hwang says, it is too easy for disgruntled parents to abuse the law to harass teachers over instructions or disciplines they find unpleasant. And teachers cannot hold them legally accountable for false accusations.conducted by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union in 2022, 93% of teachers said they fear they may be accused of child abuse. Among teachers who were actually charged, only 1.
Teacher Seo Wonbin says the current school environment disillusioned him about his profession."I liked having this sense of a mission that I'm growing trees for the future by teaching young students," he says.