Thousands of South Korean school teachers and staff on Saturday rallied in Seoul demanding more legal protection from bullying by parents, a rising problem in a country known for its brutally competitive school environments.
The weekend demonstrations in the capital city, were triggered by the death of a teacher who was found dead at her elementary school in July after reportedly expressing emotional distress caused by complaints from allegedly abusive parents.
The protesting teachers, who have been demonstrating for weeks, claim that the laws in place make it challenging for them to maintain control over their classes and leave them vulnerable to abuse from domineering parents.
Africa Today News, New York understands that South Korean lawmakers are currently debating bills that would meet some of the teachers’ demands to for immunity from child abuse claims. But some experts have raised concerns over the potential changes, saying the proposals could further weaken protection for children, who toil for years in hypercompetitive environments.
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According to Education Ministry and the National Health Insurance Service data provided to liberal opposition lawmaker Kim Woni last week, more than 820 elementary, middle- and high-school students died of suicide between 2018 and 2022.
The angry protesters who were all dressed in black, thousands of teachers and school staff occupied a street near the National Assembly, chanting slogans and holding up signs that read: “Grant teachers immunity from child emotional abuse claims.” The protesters said more than 9,000 teachers have been reported by parents for child abuse in the past eight years.