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Teachers Unions Protest in Seoul, Call for Systemic Change and Line-of-Duty Death Recognition
A group of teachers' unions held a protest in central Seoul on Monday, demanding policy changes to restore teachers' authority in the classroom and seeking recognition for a young teacher's death as a line-of-duty death.
The demonstration, organised by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), the Korean Federation of Teachers Unions, and the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, took place in front of the government complex. The protest was reported by YONHAP.
The young teacher, from Seo2 Elementary School, passed away on Feb. 20, 2024. The unions are urging the government to register this death as a line-of-duty death, highlighting the ongoing concerns about the pressures and stresses faced by teachers in South Korea.
Current South Korean policy recognises teachers' authority in the classroom, allowing them to confiscate students' mobile phones during class and to impose legitimate discipline, such as sending disruptive students out of the classroom or physically restraining them. However, corporal punishment remains officially and legally prohibited since 2011.
Recent events have shed light on the significant challenges related to teachers' authority and the education system. The KFTA has publicly called for a systemic change in education, emphasising the need to expand the teacher workforce amid increasing responsibilities. They stress that growing student behavioral and emotional issues, along with students from multicultural backgrounds, place more demands on teachers but without corresponding increases in staffing. The KFTA considers expanding the teaching force essential to normalising and improving the quality of public education.
The movement to register a teacher’s death as a line-of-duty death indicates rising awareness and concern for teacher wellbeing in the country. Such recognition by authorities could impact policies on teacher welfare and working conditions, although specific legislative outcomes or changes tied to this event were not detailed in the current results.
The unions' call for systemic change and line-of-duty death recognition underscores the need for a comprehensive review of the education system and teachers' working conditions in South Korea. The government's response to these demands will be closely watched by educators and the public alike.
- The teachers' unions' demonstration in Seoul, demanding systemic change and line-of-duty death recognition, also includes calls for the expansion of the education workforce and an improvement in working conditions, as part of their focus on education-and-self-development and general-news.
- As a result of the teachers' unions' pressure for line-of-duty death recognition, which underscores the need for a comprehensive review of the education system and teachers' working conditions in South Korea, the government may find itself compelled to revise its education policies and confront challenging issues related to the government's role in supporting and protecting teachers.
