Is Elementary Education Okay Like This... What Do You Think About the Fixation of Gender Roles?

Concerns Raised Over 'Gender Role Stereotype Reinforcement' in Some Elementary Curricula
Elementary Gender Equality Research Group: "Educational Materials Reflect Gender Role Stereotypes"
Experts: "Gender Sensitivity in Educational Settings Must Change First"

An elementary school classroom. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and intern Seulgi Kim] A first-grade elementary school homeroom teacher assigned students underwear laundry as homework and left comments such as "Our princess's pink underwear is pretty" and "Pretty underwear, shy shy," sparking controversy. The teacher also evaluated some students' appearances, calling them beauties. As a result, some point out that sexual discrimination arising externally during the developmental stages of children and adolescents forming their identities could become entrenched.

Criticism arises that women are inevitably trapped in stereotypes divided by gender, such as things women supposedly cannot do or dreams that are impossible for women from the start. Experts have pointed out that education reflecting gender role stereotypes should be restrained and that 'gender sensitivity' education should be included in the curriculum.

On the 21st, the Elementary Gender Equality Research Association (the Association) released the results of 'Monitoring EBS Online School Opening Programs from a Gender Equality Perspective.' The Association pointed out that some materials used to educate lower-grade elementary students reflect gender role stereotypes and promote unnecessary gender downgrading.

The Association explained that in the visual materials for the 2-1 Korean language class, a female child's character was drawn wearing pink clothes and a yellow hairpin, stating, "We need to examine whether differences in posture, accessories, etc., between females and males are truly necessary and use materials created from a more equal perspective."

Furthermore, in the 2nd-grade math class "Shall we learn about hundreds?" the teacher repeatedly asked, "Do boys have louder voices? Or do girls have louder voices?" The Association said, "Unnecessary promotion of gender conflict should be avoided."

Regarding the teacher conducting the class wearing a dress and pink hairpin, the Association said, "The impact of the teacher's appearance labor on children watching the broadcast should be considered."

Appearance labor refers to the concept imposed on women by some that they must wear makeup or clothes according to certain standards, which restricts women's identities in a fragmented way. For example, social prejudice may arise that a woman who does not wear makeup or skirts is not considered modest.

A parent, B, who has a 2nd-grade elementary school child, said, "No matter how much we educate at home to avoid gender role stereotypes, the child returns from school with those stereotypes," adding, "When I asked where the child heard that 'housework like laundry and dishwashing should be done by women, and men should be the ones earning money,' the child said it was learned at school."

B also expressed concern, saying, "In EBS online lectures, female teachers wear dresses that excessively reveal their figures, while male teachers wear semi-formal suits. I worried that the children's natural acquisition of differences in female and male clothing might be influenced by the teachers' attire."

In December last year, the Korean Women's Development Institute released a report titled 'The Current Reality and Activation Measures of Gender Equality Education in Elementary and Secondary Schools.' In a survey of 4,217 elementary and secondary students, 14.1% reported that they had personally experienced or witnessed gender-discriminatory remarks or actions at school in the past year.

Especially, elementary students expressed dissatisfaction with teachers conducting physical education mainly for boys and home-related learning mainly for girls. Elementary boys responded that the practice of making boys carry heavy items is reverse discrimination. The Korean Women's Development Institute pointed out, "At the elementary level, where physical differences are not significant, students may perceive teachers' actions, intended as gender consideration based on adults' stereotypes, as discrimination."

Experts suggested that gender role stereotype education should be restrained through analysis of gender-related educational content in schools, and that the overall content of 'gender sensitivity' education should be revised.

Jin-kyung Cho, director of the Teenage Women's Human Rights Center, said, "When analyzing gender content in gender sensitivity education, I wonder if education is being conducted while leaving gender role stereotypes intact," emphasizing, "Such education can ultimately reinforce gender role stereotypes more firmly in students."

Additionally, the Korean Women's Development Institute stated regarding gender equality education in schools, "To strengthen gender equality education for teachers, it should be made mandatory for teachers to receive gender equality education," and recommended adding gender equality education subjects to teacher training courses or making gender equality education a required credit for graduation from teacher training colleges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.