The Student Rights Review Committee of the Jeonbuk Office of Education in 2021 ruled that the actions of a teacher, known as the 'Red Card Incident', were a case of student rights violation. The incident involved
implementing a demerit system for lower-grade elementary school students, making students who received demerits clean up after school, and infringing on the students' rights to dignity and rest, recommending that they complete special human rights education.
The committee also
recommended measures to prevent recurrence, as the method of life guidance that operates a demerit system for lower-grade students and restricts their bodies to certain postures can lead to damage such as lowering student self-esteem and maladjustment to school life. In addition, it was an incident in which the committee recommended to the superintendent of education that
the school administrator should establish a separate measure and a proactive response to parental complaints, as the school administrator did not immediately correct the inappropriate teaching methods of the teacher, causing repeated complaints from parents.
This incident shows that when parents initially raised issues about the teacher's inappropriate teaching methods and human rights violations, the school administrators needed to actively understand the facts and resolve the problem. However, the current movement by the Jeonbuk Teachers' Union and Superintendent Seo Geoseok to overturn the issues reviewed by the Student Rights Education Center at that time appears to be an attempt to undermine student rights.
The Red Card Incident, The Truth from the Parents' Perspective
One of the parties involved in the case reviewed by the Student Rights Review Committee, Parent A, was referred to as a 'malicious complainant' by the Teachers' Union, and even received ridicule and criticism, wishing that the
beauty shop run by the parent would go bankrupt. Another parent, B, is currently suing after finding out years later that their child suffered similar harm from the teacher in 2021.
According to Parent B's statement, the teacher threatened the students during class, saying that
if anyone went home and talked about it, the whole class would be punished.
As a result, the students were unable to properly tell their parents about the harm they suffered, and one of the victimized students confessed that they
wanted to die every night and tried to fall from the rooftop, but couldn't because the door was locked, showing severe psychological trauma. The student has since been placed in a situation where they are refusing to go to school and showing symptoms of psychological anxiety, requiring long-term treatment.
The parents stated in their position paper that they had informed the school and the Office of Education about the teacher's problem several times, but no proper investigation or action was taken. The parents pleaded desperately with the following statement.
“My child suffered serious emotional trauma at the time and is living with the terrible memories received in the second-grade classroom. It took a long time to reveal the fact of the damage, and they are still receiving counseling and treatment. However, educational institutions are not interested in the recovery of student victims, but rather treat parents who raise objections as 'malicious complainants' and make them the problem.”
The parents were also shocked to see the teacher claiming through broadcasts and the media that they had done nothing wrong, and criticized the Jeonbuk Teachers' Union for focusing solely on defending the teacher's position, ignoring student rights.
Reconsideration Decision, an Attempt to Undermine Student Rights
The Jeonbuk Teachers' Union justified the teacher's actions at the time of the incident and organized a 'request for reconsideration of the judgment on the human rights violation of the Tiger Sticker Teacher' among all teachers in Jeonbuk. Chairman Jeong Jaeseok is suspected of pressuring the parents by labeling them as 'malicious complainants'. There were even claims that he had influenced the parents' workplaces and forced them to take legal action.
Superintendent Seo Geoseok, who accepted the demands of the Teachers' Union, ordered a 'reconsideration' that is not even stipulated in the regulations. The Education Human Rights Center is planning to convene the Student Rights Review Committee soon to hold a reconsideration. However, in this process, a center official stated that
it is not a reconsideration, but the superintendent ordered the matter to be judged again, revealing a legally ambiguous position. This clearly has the potential for abuse of the superintendent's authority, and it appears to be an attempt to promote himself as a 'superintendent protecting teacher rights' by relying on the Teachers' Union.
A Responsible Choice by the Superintendent is Needed
In 2021, the decision of the Student Rights Review Committee was a careful and fair judgment considering the pain of the victimized students. Superintendent Seo Geoseok's decision to reconsider in response to the demands of the Teachers' Union is being evaluated as an act that not only inflicts secondary damage on the victimized students and parents but also undermines the value of student rights. Advocating for teacher rights, even for teachers' anti-human rights actions, is likely to remain a dangerous precedent.
Superintendent Seo Geoseok needs to stop succumbing to the pressure from Chairman Jeong Jaeseok and listen to the voices of the victimized students and parents. The reconsideration should be withdrawn, and it should be made clear that protecting student rights and preserving their value is the direction that Jeonbuk education should go.
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