The suicide of a young teacher in South Korea has sparked a wave of anger and protests from other teachers, who are calling for an end to parent bullying and violence.
The teacher, identified by her surname Choi, was 23 years old and worked at an elementary school in Seoul. She killed herself on July 24 after being harassed by parents over a student dispute.
Choi had been accused of child abuse by a parent who claimed that she had slapped her son for bullying another student. The parent also demanded that Choi apologize to the whole class and threatened to sue her.
“She was a passionate teacher who loved her students more than anyone. She was too young to die,” said one of Choi’s colleagues.
Choi’s death triggered a nationwide rally on September 4, organized by the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations (KFTA), the largest teachers’ union in the country. Thousands of teachers participated in the rally, holding signs that read “Stop parent bullying” and “Protect teachers’ rights and dignity”.
“We are not machines that can endure everything. We are human beings who have feelings and emotions,” said Kim Dong-seok, the head of the KFTA.
The teachers claimed that they were often accused of child abuse for disciplining or scolding students, and that they were constantly pressured by parents’ complaints and demands. They also said that they faced physical and verbal threats from some parents, who interfered with their teaching methods and curriculum.
“The root cause of the problem is the excessive interference and intervention of parents in school affairs,” said Lee Won-hee, a professor of education at Ewha Womans University.
The teachers also urged the government to enact a law to protect teachers from parent bullying and violence, and to provide them with legal and psychological support. They said that they wanted to work with parents as partners, not as enemies.
“We want to tell the parents that we are not their enemies. We are partners who work together for the education of their children,” said Park Eun-joo, a teacher who joined the rally.
The government expressed its condolences over Choi’s death and said that it would listen to the voices of teachers and come up with measures to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
“We will listen to the voices of teachers and come up with measures to prevent such tragedies from happening again,” said Lee Jun-ho, vice education minister.
South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with more than 13,000 people taking their own lives in 2020. Teachers are especially vulnerable, as they face high stress, low pay, and lack of social support. According to the KFTA, 62 teachers committed suicide between 2016 and 2020.
Relevant articles:
– Teacher suicide exposes parent bullying in S Korea, BBC News, 8 September 2023
– South Korean teachers to rally after colleague’s death, NBC News, 4 September 2023
– Suicide unleashes torrent of grievances from bullied teachers, Korea JoongAng Daily, 27 July 2023
– Protests in Korea: Teachers go on strike after educator commits suicide over parental bullying, Israel Hayom, 4 September 2023