The education sector is grappling with the alarming transformation of classrooms into battlegrounds for frivolous lawsuits and complaints. The National Education Commission and the Korea Education Development Institute (KEDI) held a joint forum urging a fundamental paradigm shift that recognizes teachers as professionals and restores trust within the education community. Presenters at the forum analyzed the unreported suffering of teachers and called for a more robust and structured safety net.
The forum, titled 'Strengthening Protection for Teachers' Educational Activities through Community Collaboration,' took place at the Korea Press Center at 2 p.m. on July 9.
The event aimed to address the recent surge in false child abuse reports and malicious complaints against teachers, discussing effective alternatives. Key attendees included Cha Jeong-in, chair of the National Education Commission, Ko Young-sun, KEDI president, Yoo Kyung-hoon, head of KEDI's elementary and secondary education research division, and Professor Jang Deok-ho from Konkuk University.
The forum, titled 'Strengthening Protection for Teachers' Educational Activities through Community Collaboration,' took place at the Korea Press Center at 2 p.m. on July 9.
The event aimed to address the recent surge in false child abuse reports and malicious complaints against teachers, discussing effective alternatives. Key attendees included Cha Jeong-in, chair of the National Education Commission, Ko Young-sun, KEDI president, Yoo Kyung-hoon, head of KEDI's elementary and secondary education research division, and Professor Jang Deok-ho from Konkuk University.
Cha Jeong-in and Ko Young-sun: "Teacher Rights Are a National Responsibility and a Starting Point for Restoring Trust"
In his opening remarks, Cha Jeong-in emphasized that "if legitimate educational activities are not protected, education becomes impossible, and this ultimately harms all children." He pointed out that the current issues surrounding teacher rights are a result of problems created by society, stating, "We can solve this ourselves."
He urged policymakers and administrators to communicate and collaborate with a singular goal, expressing hope that visible changes could be felt within two years and structurally established within five years. Cha also expressed his commitment to actively consult with relevant education departments, envisioning a future where schools transform into communities of love, respect, and friendship.
Ko Young-sun echoed these sentiments in his welcoming address, diagnosing the most serious challenge in today's educational environment as the decline of community culture and trust among members. He stressed that protecting teachers' educational activities must go beyond strengthening laws and regulations, starting with restoring healthy relationships among community members.
He urged policymakers and administrators to communicate and collaborate with a singular goal, expressing hope that visible changes could be felt within two years and structurally established within five years. Cha also expressed his commitment to actively consult with relevant education departments, envisioning a future where schools transform into communities of love, respect, and friendship.
Ko Young-sun echoed these sentiments in his welcoming address, diagnosing the most serious challenge in today's educational environment as the decline of community culture and trust among members. He stressed that protecting teachers' educational activities must go beyond strengthening laws and regulations, starting with restoring healthy relationships among community members.
Yoo Kyung-hoon: "Despite System Improvements, Anxiety Persists... Legalization Undermines Professionalism"
Yoo Kyung-hoon, the first presenter, exposed the hidden anxieties of teachers in his presentation on 'The Status of Educational Activity Violations and Policy Responses.' According to Yoo, the number of meetings held by the Teacher Protection Committee rose from 4,234 in 2024 to 2,189 in just the first half of 2025, indicating that violations are not decreasing. Despite the establishment of five laws for teacher protection, 68.9% of teachers still express constant concern about complaints and reports, while 65.8% feel their educational activities are not protected.
Moreover, 34.8% of middle school teachers do not report incidents of harm, reflecting a pervasive sense of helplessness that reporting is futile.
Yoo identified five key characteristics of the current state of educational activity violations: 1) Pre-event anxiety and intimidation, 2) Personalization of conflict responsibility, 3) Inconsistency in support systems for complex student needs, 4) Connection to school organizational culture and work structure, and 5) Expanding discussions beyond the framework of conflicting rights to restore trust.
He emphasized, "Regardless of the outcome of disciplinary actions, the moment a child abuse report is filed, a teacher's daily life halts, forcing them into defensive teaching. We must redefine teacher rights as 'relational rights' that protect both students' right to learn and the public nature of education."
Moreover, 34.8% of middle school teachers do not report incidents of harm, reflecting a pervasive sense of helplessness that reporting is futile.
Yoo identified five key characteristics of the current state of educational activity violations: 1) Pre-event anxiety and intimidation, 2) Personalization of conflict responsibility, 3) Inconsistency in support systems for complex student needs, 4) Connection to school organizational culture and work structure, and 5) Expanding discussions beyond the framework of conflicting rights to restore trust.
He emphasized, "Regardless of the outcome of disciplinary actions, the moment a child abuse report is filed, a teacher's daily life halts, forcing them into defensive teaching. We must redefine teacher rights as 'relational rights' that protect both students' right to learn and the public nature of education."
Professor Jang Deok-ho: "We Must Completely Shift from an 'Administrative Empowerment' to a 'Teacher Empowerment' Paradigm"
In his keynote address, Professor Jang Deok-ho explored the causes of the teacher rights crisis, attributing it to social structural changes and the trend of legalizing education. He noted that the emergence of the 'Alpha Generation' with short attention spans, combined with the overprotection from 'helicopter parents,' has made guidance increasingly challenging for teachers. Meanwhile, Korean teachers endure the highest levels of administrative work in the OECD, averaging six hours per week, alongside significant stress from parental complaints, while collaboration among colleagues remains at the lowest levels, creating a 'high burden, low cooperation' environment.
To overcome these challenges, Jang presented 15 key tasks identified by the National Education Commission's Teacher Rights Recovery Committee, including clarifying the emotional abuse concept in child welfare laws, revising school violence prevention laws, and enhancing practical leadership among administrators.
He stressed, "In the current 'administrative empowerment' system, where the administrative line dictates the curriculum, teachers are relegated to mere administrative workers. We must fundamentally shift to a 'teacher empowerment' system where teachers become the primary interpreters of the curriculum based on their expertise to regain lost educational authority and trust."
To overcome these challenges, Jang presented 15 key tasks identified by the National Education Commission's Teacher Rights Recovery Committee, including clarifying the emotional abuse concept in child welfare laws, revising school violence prevention laws, and enhancing practical leadership among administrators.
He stressed, "In the current 'administrative empowerment' system, where the administrative line dictates the curriculum, teachers are relegated to mere administrative workers. We must fundamentally shift to a 'teacher empowerment' system where teachers become the primary interpreters of the curriculum based on their expertise to regain lost educational authority and trust."
Nine Experts Gather to Forge Practical Solutions
Following the presentations, a discussion session was held, moderated by Kim Seong-yeol, an honorary professor at Gyeongnam National University and former president of the Korean Educational Association. Nine panelists, including teachers, parents, union representatives, and academic experts, engaged in intense discussions on protecting teacher rights and normalizing public education.
Panelists included: 1) Jo Jae-beom, chair of the Teacher Rights Committee of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (Pungdeok Elementary School teacher), 2) Jeon Eun-young, representative of the National Innovative Education Parents Network (National Education Commission member), 3) Jang Se-rin, former member of the National Education Commission's High School Education Special Committee (Geumgu Elementary School teacher), 4) Kim Eun-hye, co-representative of the Home and Child Protection Association, 5) Lee Soo-il, policy planning director of the National Teachers' Union, 6) Choi Jong-seon, policy director of the Association of Education Superintendents of Korea, 7) Lee Hee-hyun, head of the Student and Parent Research Division at KEDI, 8) Kim Young-sik, former member of the National Education Commission's Special Committee on School Community Recovery (Deokyang Middle School teacher), and 9) Kim Byeong-chan, senior vice president of the Korean Educational Association (professor at Kyung Hee University), who represented various stakeholders in seeking practical solidarity measures to build a trusted school community.
Panelists included: 1) Jo Jae-beom, chair of the Teacher Rights Committee of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (Pungdeok Elementary School teacher), 2) Jeon Eun-young, representative of the National Innovative Education Parents Network (National Education Commission member), 3) Jang Se-rin, former member of the National Education Commission's High School Education Special Committee (Geumgu Elementary School teacher), 4) Kim Eun-hye, co-representative of the Home and Child Protection Association, 5) Lee Soo-il, policy planning director of the National Teachers' Union, 6) Choi Jong-seon, policy director of the Association of Education Superintendents of Korea, 7) Lee Hee-hyun, head of the Student and Parent Research Division at KEDI, 8) Kim Young-sik, former member of the National Education Commission's Special Committee on School Community Recovery (Deokyang Middle School teacher), and 9) Kim Byeong-chan, senior vice president of the Korean Educational Association (professor at Kyung Hee University), who represented various stakeholders in seeking practical solidarity measures to build a trusted school community.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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