"It Was Normal to Be Beaten Back Then": Memories of "Those Classroom Days" Resurface Ahead of Teacher's Day

Allegations of Abuse Flood 2006 Film Review Video

Experiences of Past Teacher Violence Resurface Amid Calls to Protect Teachers' Rights

As Teacher's Day approaches, gratitude toward teachers and the protection of teachers' rights have once again become topics of public discussion. However, a very different conversation is unfolding in the comments section of a movie review video.

On May 11, Yonhap News highlighted how, in the lead-up to Teacher's Day, a YouTube review video of the 2006 horror film "To Sir, With Love" has continued to receive comments for years expressing, "I went through something similar." The film depicts students who suffered emotional and physical abuse during their school days and later harbor feelings of revenge against their teacher after graduation.

The 15-minute review video, uploaded in 2021, has surpassed 2.51 million views as of May 11, with more than 4,300 comments. Many of these comments are not simply about the content of the film, but rather recount experiences of corporal punishment, humiliation, and bribery from their own past school lives. Netizens have posted statements such as, "I was beaten so badly that my tailbone still hurts," "I was discriminated against because I didn't give bribes," and "I was publicly shamed for my family's financial situation." Some of these comments have received hundreds or even thousands of likes, resonating widely with others.

In the film, the students are portrayed as victims of mockery and violence by teachers. Characters such as a class president ridiculed for being from a poor family, and a student who lost their dreams after being subjected to corporal punishment, have triggered memories of school days for many viewers. Of course, it should be noted that it is difficult to verify the truth of each comment. However, certain words appear repeatedly in the comments section: "corporal punishment," "bribery," "humiliation," "discrimination," and "fear." Collective memories of insufficient protection of student rights in past educational settings are now being voiced online.

One netizen wrote, "The teachers who used to hit kids and take bribes are now retired and living well, while the generation that grew up being beaten is now teaching and experiencing infringements on their own authority." Another commented, "It feels like today's young teachers are paying for the wrongdoings of some teachers in the past."

Recently, infringement on teachers' rights has emerged as a serious social issue in the education sector. Excessive complaints from students and parents, verbal and physical abuse toward teachers, and the weakening of teachers' authority in student guidance are all being discussed, leading to a growing call for the protection of teachers' rights. However, the comments on this review video show that perspectives on the issue are far from simple. Separate from the hardships faced by today's teachers, the wounds of those who were students in the past still linger.

In particular, netizens who appear to be born in the 1970s and 1980s are increasingly sharing stories of violence they experienced during their school days, leading some to analyze that violence in past educational settings has contributed to the current distrust of teachers. However, there is also a caution against blaming all current teachers for the faults of a few in the past. An art teacher in their second year at a high school in the Seoul metropolitan area stated, "I hope people don't judge today's teachers and schools solely based on negative memories from the past." In fact, some comments did express gratitude, such as, "There was a teacher who knew about my difficult family situation and gave me extra study materials," and "There were definitely many good teachers." However, the overall trend in the comments was dominated by recollections of corporal punishment and unfair treatment.

Teacher's Day is originally a day to honor the contributions of teachers. Especially now, as calls for the protection of teachers' rights grow louder, conflicting memories of past violations of student rights are turning what should be a day of celebration into a day of both gratitude and the resurfacing of old wounds.