Jeongyojo Gyeongnam Branch "Serious Violation of Teachers' Rights, Implement Practical Measures"

"The experience of the late Seo I-cho teacher is a problem occurring throughout educational sites."

The Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) made this statement at a press conference held on the 26th at the Gyeongnam Office of Education briefing room.

The KTU Gyeongnam branch said, "Everyone says that teachers' rights must be restored, but there is no legal definition of teachers' rights in any of the numerous education-related laws and enforcement decrees," adding, "Time after students leave school, such as administrative hours and responding to complaints, is not considered part of educational activities."

They continued, "Teachers currently do not trust the existing teachers' rights protection system and worry about disadvantages, suffering alone," and insisted, "The scope of educational activities must be clearly defined and teachers' rights properly protected."

They also emphasized, "Not only in Gyeongnam but nationwide, there is talk about restoring teachers' rights," urging, "The Ministry of Education and educational authorities should start by reviewing and reflecting on past education policies and prepare sincere measures against the collapse and infringement of teachers' rights."

The Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union is holding a press conference on establishing measures to protect teachers' rights.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

To protect teachers in the province, the branch demanded 20 tasks in four areas from the Gyeongnam Office of Education: strengthening responses to malicious complaints, establishing and improving teachers' rights protection systems, revising laws related to child abuse, and guaranteeing and supporting teachers' authority in student guidance.

These include introducing a system for the superintendent to file complaints against malicious complainants, supporting dual-number service for work mobile phones before the school term starts, a complete revision of the ordinance on protecting teachers' educational activities in Gyeongnam Office of Education, providing emergency security services for teachers, explicitly excluding teachers' legitimate educational activities from child abuse crime standards, and immediate separation and priority management by the principal of students who disrupt educational activities.

Teachers attending the press conference said, "It may seem natural to seat children who wander or roll around during class, but in reality, if you get a little angry after repeatedly telling them, it is considered emotional abuse, and if you hold their hand to seat them, it is considered physical abuse."

"Many kindergarteners cannot eat alone, so teachers often feed them one by one, but on days when a child gets rice grains on their clothes and goes home, teachers receive calls from parents accusing them of neglecting the rice grains," they added.

They appealed, "When we receive verbal abuse or physical assault from parents and are treated unfairly, we feel a sense of self-loathing along with the thought that this is not why we became teachers."

The branch said, "What teachers want is to be able to focus safely on educational activities," and requested, "Please accept these modest and very reasonable demands."

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