Falling Educational Authority, Teachers Who Cannot Say "It's Dangerous"

Teacher Assaults and Suicides Continue
Teachers Wearing 'Black Masks' Take to the Streets
Teacher Authority Plummets Rapidly After Student Rights Ordinance
"Government and Society Must Protect Teacher Authority"

"It is common for children to swear at or hit teachers. Since we never know when or what behavior a student might exhibit, homeroom teachers feel like they are 'time bombs.'

Mr. A, an elementary school teacher in the Jeonnam region, spoke on the 20th about the recent infringements on teachers' authority occurring in classrooms. For teachers, classrooms are spaces for guiding and managing students, but they are also places constantly exposed to danger. Incidents where students verbally abuse or physically assault teachers, or threaten them through complaints, occur frequently, yet there are no effective measures in place to protect teachers. Amid the atmosphere emphasizing protection of students from corporal punishment and violence, teachers' human rights issues have been neglected.

The Decline of Teacher Authority Highlighted by the 'Seoi Elementary School Incident'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Recently, a case of teacher assault at an elementary school in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, drew attention and brought the issue of teacher authority infringement to the forefront. According to the Seoul Teachers' Union, an elementary school teacher was struck multiple times on the face and body by a student in their class on the 30th of last month, resulting in a medical diagnosis requiring three weeks of treatment. The student was attending a special class for one hour daily due to anger management issues, and the teacher had also been assaulted by the same student in March, requiring psychiatric treatment.

The incident on the 18th, where a teacher at Seoi Elementary School in Seoul took an extreme step on school grounds, unleashed accumulated anger among teachers. Although the exact cause of death has not been confirmed, the infringement on the teacher’s authority triggered deep frustration among educators. Following the incident, the principal of Seoi Elementary School issued a statement clarifying that the teacher’s assigned duties were related to 'NICE authority management' rather than 'school violence.' However, teacher organizations and teachers opposed this, holding press conferences and memorial services. Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Lee Ju-ho stated, "If teacher authority collapses, public education collapses," promising to investigate causes and improve systems. The education sector perceives the collapse of teacher authority as a serious issue.

Mr. B, a middle school teacher in his 30s, said, "One teacher said that on the first day of school, while instructing students to clean, a rebellious student almost hit them with a mop." Elementary school teacher Mr. C, who visited Seoi Elementary on the 20th to pay respects, said, "It doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem," adding, "I came because I have similar concerns." Teachers also reported many cases where they faced complaints, lawsuits, and demands for homeroom teacher replacement after reprimanding students.

According to the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), based on the number of cases reviewed by school teacher authority protection committees, there were 1,249 cases of teacher injury and assault over the past six years. The '2022 Teacher Authority Protection and Counseling Activities' report released in May showed that among types of teacher authority infringements by students, 'class disruption' was the most common at 34.4%, followed by 'verbal abuse and swearing' (28.1%), 'defamation' (20.3%), and 'sexual harassment' (7.8%).

When Did Teacher Authority Begin to Decline?

Thirteen years ago, in 2010, student human rights ordinances were enacted nationwide, banning customary practices such as regulations on hair and clothing and corporal punishment. While these ordinances had positive effects by eliminating corporal punishment and excessive privacy restrictions on students, education experts explain that they also resulted in weakened teacher authority as a side effect.

Professor Song Ki-chang of the Department of Education at Sookmyung Women’s University said, "In the process of enacting student human rights ordinances and strengthening students’ rights, there has been an excessive outburst of previously suppressed student rights consciousness." He added, "As students and parents try to avoid being influenced by teachers, the authority and leadership of teachers guiding students have weakened."

The increasing attention given to children in families due to population decline has also contributed to a more individualized structure. Professor Song explained, "Since most families have one or two children, parents tend to focus solely on 'our child.' This has led to a phenomenon where parents cannot even accept someone scolding their child."

Another important cause is the high dependence of students and parents on private education, which prevents the proper formation of social norms that public education should cultivate. Professor Choi Hang-seop of the Department of Sociology at Kookmin University said, "Sociologically, this appears to be an 'anomie state.' Social norms about what is right or wrong, what should or should not be done, especially in schools, have collapsed." He also analyzed, "In a situation where only student rights are overly emphasized, and the public education space of schools is gradually replaced by private education, students have come to distrust teachers."

The decline in teacher authority ultimately affects the quality of academic guidance for students. The more teachers feel intimidated, the less they manage students. Mr. D, an elementary school teacher in his 20s, said, "With accidents continuing inside and outside the classroom recently, I have become afraid to guide students," adding, "I don’t feel the need to put more effort into proper education."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Government and Society Must Respond, Not Individual Teachers

According to the 'Manual for Protecting Educational Activities' published by the Ministry of Education, teachers are protected under the 'Special Act on the Status Improvement and Protection of Educational Activities' (Teacher Support Act). Under this law, each school forms a Teacher Authority Protection Committee to investigate and take action on teacher authority infringement cases. The special law defines educational activity infringements as including ▲criminal assault and battery ▲sexual violence crimes ▲illegal information distribution acts.

However, in actual educational settings, not all cases can be handled by the Teacher Authority Protection Committee, and teachers themselves hesitate to report incidents due to concerns about class disruption. Mr. Cho Seong-cheol, spokesperson for the KFTA, pointed out, "Only a very small number of the actual classroom incidents are reported to the Teacher Authority Protection Committee." He added, "The process to convene the existing committee is complicated in terms of time and procedures. It is difficult to report every daily act of violence. A system that can properly protect teachers is needed."

Experts emphasize the need for institutional improvements. Professor Choi said, "If this continues, the public education field will completely collapse, contrary to the government's goal of dismantling the 'private education cartel.' Along with awareness improvements, institutional measures such as a 'Teacher Human Rights Ordinance' are necessary."

Within the education sector, the need for various institutional devices to protect teachers is also raised. Ms. Jung So-young, spokesperson for the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), said, "When teachers face difficulties, there is no fundamental solution other than communication among the parties involved," adding, "Mediation or restorative bodies should be established to enable school-level mediation."

Mr. Cho, the spokesperson, said, "Students exhibiting abnormal and extreme behavior need safety measures that include diagnosis, counseling, and treatment through external professional institutions for a certain period before returning to school," adding, "Leaving such students solely to homeroom teachers makes it impossible to resolve teacher authority infringements."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Teacher Authority Protection Is Strong Overseas

In advanced countries, teacher authority is protected as firmly as student human rights. Many countries explicitly regulate and operate teachers’ rights to maintain classroom order and to use physical force when necessary. California state law in the United States grants teachers the right to exclude students from class for up to two days if they disrupt lessons or disobey instructions. It also guarantees teachers the right to know students’ records of violence, to be notified in advance of parental visits, to make final evaluations of students, and to discipline and ensure student safety.

In the United Kingdom, teachers are allowed to use reasonable physical force if a student harms others or damages property. They also have the authority to search for and confiscate prohibited items such as weapons, alcohol, illegal drugs, stolen goods, cigarettes, explosives, and obscene materials. Teachers can remove students from the classroom to protect the teaching rights and safety of themselves and other students.

Germany stipulates educational and regulatory measures. Teachers can immediately exercise disciplinary authority such as warnings for class disruption, consultations with the student and parents, and exclusion from class. If infringements persist, measures such as class transfer or expulsion are possible. These decisions are not made solely by teachers but involve the principal, a subcommittee appointed by the teacher committee, and the higher school supervisory authority. The subcommittee includes the homeroom teacher and grade-level representative teachers.

Japan operates an attendance suspension system to maintain classroom order and protect other students’ learning rights. If parents display intimidating behavior or anger, they may be subject to obstruction of business by force charges. Teachers can request parents to speak quietly, and if rude behavior continues, they may call administrative staff or report to the police.

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