61% of Gyeongbuk Teachers Say "Desk-Bound Policy-Making Ignoring the Field Is the Biggest Problem in Education Policy"... 51% Contemplate Resignation

Gyeongbuk Teachers' Union Survey

Office of Education's "Integrity Banner" Draws Criticism

A survey found that 51% of teachers in the Gyeongbuk region are contemplating resignation due to malicious complaints from parents and other reasons.

The Gyeongbuk Teachers' Union (Chairperson Lee Mihui) announced on May 15, in commemoration of Teachers' Day, that out of 403 elementary, middle, and high school teachers surveyed in the Gyeongbuk region, as many as 51% had considered resigning or voluntarily stepping down within the past year.

Survey Analysis Table Showing 51% of Teachers in the Gyeongbuk Region Contemplating Resignation.

The number one decisive reason for teachers wanting to leave the profession was "malicious complaints from parents and others" (63%), followed by "dissatisfaction with economic conditions such as salary and compensation" (36%).

Although the homeroom and administrative duty allowances for teachers were increased in 2024 for the first time in 20 years, teachers are still reluctant to take on these roles. The primary reason for avoiding homeroom duties was "difficulties in dealing with parents and complaints" (88%), while the top reason for avoiding administrative positions was "insufficient compensation for high-intensity work" (67%).

The Gyeongbuk Teachers' Union pointed out, "The avoidance of homeroom and administrative positions is not due to teachers' personal selfishness or evasion, but is a result of systemic failure," adding, "It is time to redesign compensation, authority, and protection commensurate with these responsibilities to resolve this issue."

Teachers in the Gyeongbuk region also identified the ambiguity of the "emotional abuse" standard in the current Child Abuse Penalty Act as a major problem. In a survey question asking about the most significant issues with the Act (multiple responses allowed), 84% cited rampant malicious complaints and lawsuits from Gyeongbuk parents. Additionally, 83% pointed to the vague application standards, such as emotional abuse, as causing a chilling effect on educational activities. Being accused of child abuse is now not just an unfortunate incident for a few, but has become a daily fear for all teachers, who feel that "they could be sued at any time."

According to teachers, the biggest problem with current policies is not the content itself, but the "process of how they are made." Sixty-one percent of teachers cited "desk-bound policy-making that ignores the voices from the field" as the main issue with current education policies. This result suggests that policy formulation should begin with gathering input from educational experts—teachers themselves—rather than focusing on promotion and persuasion.

Despite precarious educational conditions, teachers in Gyeongbuk said they feel the most rewarded when they "witness positive changes or growth in students" (95%). The top motivating factor for remaining in the teaching profession was also "responsibility and affection for students" (63.8%). This indicates that teachers' sense of professional identity is rooted in their relationships with students. Society must create classrooms where the relationship between teachers and students is protected.

Teachers in Gyeongbuk identified the ideal school administrator as one who "actively intervenes and protects teachers in the event of malicious complaints" (95%). In addition, 67% called for "legislation to protect the core duties of teachers" in order to restore their essential work. There are growing calls to move away from a structure in which individual teachers must handle everything alone and to establish organizational protections.

The Gyeongbuk Teachers' Union stated, "Recently, ahead of Teachers' Day, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education posted a banner on the work portal titled 'Perfect Guide to the Confusing Anti-Graft Act,' informing teachers that even if students voluntarily hold a party, they must not share or deliver cake to teachers, and carnations also cannot be handed directly by individual students." The union criticized, "For teachers holding on at the edge for their students, the Office of Education is undermining the meaning of Teachers' Day by applying such cold, rigid standards, even to gestures of warmth between teachers and students."

Kim Taehwan, Senior Vice Chair of the Gyeongbuk Teachers' Union, said, "This recent incident involving the cake-related integrity campaign by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education is evidence that schools have turned into spaces dominated by complaints and the imposition of responsibilities," adding, "The Office of Education must protect teachers so they can teach safely at school."

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