The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development has issued the required notification that it is changing the law so that teachers who steal test questions or manipulate grades, teachers who commit sexual crimes against minors, and teachers who take bribes are required to be given heavy disciplinary punishment. Punishment cannot be reduced even if the teacher has previously been given government or other commendation, and if dismissed the teacher cannot be rehired. The idea is to take unqualified teachers and expel them from the classroom forever.
Too often you saw teachers commit serious illegalities only to be given shockingly light punishments, or get fired only to be rehired a day later. Parents have grown increasingly distrustful of schools. The reputation of the majority of teachers who are devoted to their teaching have seen their reputations suffer as a result. The education ministry's new approach, therefore, is entirely called for. One hopes to see an end to the way schools and school boards have protected their own even when in the wrong.
Looking at the new proposed changes to the law, however, one very important part is missing. There is no mention of what is to be done with teachers who are too verbally abusive or who physically beat their students. It looks like the education ministry afforded too much thought to teachers' groups. Violence by teachers, supposedly in the name of education, still occurs with relative frequency. Student victims feel how serious it is, and yet there's no end to it because teachers are given light punishments.
Teachers' groups say they're worried that if "violence" gets included in the list of types of disqualifying behavior they will find it hard to do their jobs. You sympathize to a certain degree, but measures can be put in place to make sure no teachers are wronged. There needs to be strict standards under which corporal punishment is permissible, and there needs to be strict punishment for violence that is uncalled for. Violence is just not an educational tool. There needs to be more determined action against teacher violence so that the country can put an end to the culture of militarism in the classroom.
The Hankyoreh, 22 August 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Disqualify Violent Teachers |
