2023-09-17 12:34:17
“The school must once again become a healthy workplace,” insists Kim, primary school teacher. On September 4, nearly 120,000 teachers dressed in black gathered in front of the National Assembly. In front of the gates of the building where flowers were placed, the teachers asked for better working conditions and in particular better protection from increasingly aggressive parents. The protest marked the 49th day after the death of a teacher in July, an important day in Buddhist tradition.
It all began on July 18, when a young 23-year-old teacher was found dead in her classroom at a primary school in Seoul. There is apparently no doubt about suicide. His family testifies. She would have told them about her anguish after being verbally harassed on multiple occasions by the parents of one of her students whom she had punished for his indiscipline. Those close to him describe a state of constant fear.
However, his case is not unique: in August, two other teachers died in similar circumstances. Tragic events which lifted the veil on the distress experienced by a large part of South Korean educational staff.
On the verge of burnout
“When we reprimand a student for his behavior, the parents accuse us of lying, of mistreating their child,” explains a teacher who prefers to remain anonymous. Choi, a teacher, testifies to having seen his colleagues harassed by parents of students. “Sometimes they come in front of the school or they call them late at night to threaten them. Some have already been assaulted by the students themselves. » Following these tragic deaths of teachers, in the media spotlight, many colleagues have publicly testified to their deep distress, too often neglected by the management of the establishments.
“We are in a critical situation,” says Lee Hyong-min, spokesperson for the Korean teachers’ union. A study commissioned by him, published the day after the demonstration, shows the extent of the violence suffered by teachers. “The majority of teachers are on the verge of burnout,” he continues. Two thirds of staff say they have already experienced verbal or physical violence and present depressive symptoms to varying degrees.
Finally, more than one in ten teachers say they have already thought about suicide. “This is a structural crisis that can only be resolved through social and national measures,” believes Lee Hyong-min. The government says it is ready to listen to the demands and grievances of teachers.
Race for excellence
They are calling for a review of the law on child protection. This aims, of course, to protect minors from physical or verbal violence, but the outlines of the text are too vague. It makes it too easy for parents to accuse teachers of abuse if they discipline their child. “We want better protection for teachers against abusive accusations from parents in order to be able to do our work in good conditions,” supports the unionist. Teachers are also awaiting the establishment of a psychological support system in cases of distress, announced by the government following the demonstrations.
But the problem goes further than just legislation. For Kim, it is Korean education that also needs to be questioned. “Our school system is a race for excellence. Students and their parents are obsessed with success. » According to her, this pressure would push some parents to become violent to guarantee their child an immaculate academic record in order to access the best higher education establishments.
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