The issues for American and South Korean teachers may not be the same, but American teachers should learn from the strategy employed by South Korean teachers to improve conditions at work for themselves and ultimately for their students.
Tens of thousands of South Korean public school teachers have held protests since July over worsening student misbehavior in class and harassment by parents. The most recent demonstration involved an estimated 200,000 teachers in a mass rally outside the Korean National Assembly in Seoul, the capital city. The following school day, tens of thousands of teachers took a coordinated leave of absence day to hold rallies nationwide. They took a leave of absence day because strikes by public employees are illegal in South Korea.
The actions were sparked by the suicide of a 23-year-old first grade teacher in July after she was abused by parents calling after work hours and suffered from anxiety and depression. Her family is demanding that her death be classified as work related.
The Guardian reported interviews with protesting teachers who remained anonymous fearing repercussions. One protester wanted it recognized that “Teacher rights are just as important as student rights. We too are being bullied by parents and students, and this must stop.” Another argued that “Teachers are instrumental in shaping the future of our children. Schools are supposed to be safe, and not places where teachers are abused.”
South Korea places tremendous importance on education and has a fiercely competitive school system. Teachers face pressure from parents who make excessive demands on them and push for favoritism for their children.
Since 2018, 100 South Korean teachers have committed including 57 elementary school teachers. South Korea has the highest rate of suicide among developed countries, and it is the main cause of death for younger adults. According to the group organizing the protests, Everyone Together As One, “We will protect them (the teachers) and make changes so that not one more teacher chooses to take their life.”
Teachers are demanding revision of the country’s 2014 Child Welfare Act. It allows parents to file or threaten to file child abuse charges against teachers. Even if the accusations are unfounded, a teacher can be suspended from their job and forced to defend themselves in court. Teachers fear facing unwarranted allegations from parents if they reprimand a misbehaving students. They want clearer government guidelines for disciplining students.
According to a survey of teachers published in the Korean Times, almost every respondent had experienced infringements on their authority by overbearing parents and disorderly students. Over 90% feared being reported or sued for disciplining a student, 87% considered, and about one-fourth had sought mental health support because of stress.
In the United States, teachers in a number of states are threatened by new laws that restrict their ability to honestly address American history with their students. “Divisive content” laws promoted by rightwing think tanks and Republican legislators force teachers to constantly look over their shoulders to see if they are being observed by supervisors or parents and to scan the room for students who potentially could report them for introducing difficult ideas or the reality of racism in American society.
As in South Korea, American teachers experience high levels of stress. In a survey conducted by the Rand Corporation, 25% of teachers reported that their school or district directed them to limit discussions about political and social issues in class and 65% found themselves self-censoring what they introduced to students. About a quarter of the United States teaching staff is considering quitting their jobs. The same percentage reports feeling unsafe in school because of student behavior. Three-fourths of American teachers surveyed reported that they sought mental health support during the previous year.
Unlike South Korea, which has a national law outlawing strikes by teachers, laws governing job actions by teachers vary from state to state. According to EdWeek, teacher strikes are illegal in 35 states including New York. A number of states even prohibit collective bargaining by teachers. This is why the coordinated leave of absence day taken by South Korean teachers can be a model for beleaguered teachers the United States. Florida, which pioneered divisive content censorship and anti-DEI legislation, has a provision in its state Constitution, Article 1, section 6, and a law, 447.505, that makes it illegal for any public employee to go on strike. Florida teachers definitely need to take a coordinated leave of absence day and to collectively visit the state capital to explain to the governor and legislature the importance of teachers having the freedom to teach.
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