Teachers in South Korea Face Growing Challenges Ahead of Teacher's Day
On May 14, a day before Teacher's Day, vibrant carnations adorned the flower market in Namdaemun, Seoul. A vice principal from a middle school in Gyeonggi Province recounted a troubling incident from last year when a student, unable to control his anger during a fight, broke down the office door and injured a teacher who tried to intervene. Despite disciplinary actions taken by the vice principal, the student showed no remorse and continued to cause disruptions. With over 30 years in education, the vice principal expressed shock at the declining authority of teachers, leading him to contemplate retirement just two years before his planned exit from the profession.
Meanwhile, a 14-year veteran elementary school teacher in Jeonbuk faced relentless complaints from a parent during the first semester of last year. The parent accused the teacher of failing to communicate that their child was merely joking with a student who reported being bullied. The emotional outbursts from the parent left the teacher feeling disillusioned, prompting frequent thoughts of leaving the profession, which had been a long-held dream.
In light of these challenges, the Korean Teachers' Union (교사노조) released the results of a nationwide survey conducted from April 23 to May 7, revealing that three out of five teachers have considered leaving their jobs in the past year. Out of 8,254 respondents, 4,788 (58%) admitted to contemplating resignation or job changes.
The primary reason for this consideration was identified as 'infringement of teacher authority and excessive complaints' (77.5%). In the past year, 4,684 teachers (56.7%) reported experiencing authority violations from students, while 4,620 (56%) faced similar issues from parents. Additionally, 1,927 teachers (23.3%) sought psychiatric counseling or treatment due to these infringements.
The second most cited reason for contemplating resignation was 'low salary' (57.6%). Only 299 teachers (3.6%) expressed satisfaction with their current pay, while a staggering 6,968 (84.4%) were dissatisfied.
Furthermore, 90% of teachers reported difficulties in preparing lessons due to administrative tasks. A significant 7,501 teachers (90.9%) indicated that they prioritized administrative duties over lesson planning during school hours, and 7,533 (91.3%) admitted to handling work at home or school without requesting overtime.
Lee Bo-mi, a representative from the teachers' union, stated, "It is a reality that teachers are more concerned about whether they should leave the profession due to poor educational conditions and rapidly changing school culture rather than feeling pride and fulfillment in their roles as educators. Policies are needed to prevent the exodus of teachers from the field."
