A cry for help from the traumatised teachers living in fear
The Guardian Weekly|September 15, 2023
South Korea's teachers know why a colleague killed herself after being subjected to abuse from parents, according to Park Seo-yoon*. "We've all had similar struggles," she said.
Raphael Rashid
A cry for help from the traumatised teachers living in fear

"We've all received late-night calls from parents accusing us of disrespecting their precious children because they were disciplined for not participating in class," said the primary school teacher. "We've had parents yell at us for not providing extra materials to students who didn't bring their own, insisting that students who don't do their homework shouldn't be punished, or complaining about giving three sentences of praise to one student but only two to the other." 

Teachers across South Korea protested last week, expressing their frustration over the abusive treatment they say they receive from parents and students, including being accused of child abuse for disciplining students. They want better protection.

The teachers' movement was sparked by the death of a 23-year-old teacher in July. She was found dead at her school in Seoul in an apparent suicide after reportedly expressing anxiety over complaints from parents.

Thousands walked out of their classrooms last Monday to mourn her and other teachers who have taken their own lives, and to demand change.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 15, 2023 من The Guardian Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 15, 2023 من The Guardian Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY مشاهدة الكل
Starlink's conquest of the Amazon leaves Brazil in a dilemma
The Guardian Weekly

Starlink's conquest of the Amazon leaves Brazil in a dilemma

The helicopter swooped into one of the most inaccessible corners of the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian special forces commandos leaped from it into the caiman-inhabited waters below.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 13, 2024
Dalai Lama's mountain town feels the strain of tourist boom
The Guardian Weekly

Dalai Lama's mountain town feels the strain of tourist boom

SUVs and saloon cars pass slowly along McLeod Ganj's narrow one-way Jogiwara Road, blaring horns at pedestrians and scooter riders and playing loud music.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 13, 2024
'I am all the world' The brutal rule of a West Bank settler
The Guardian Weekly

'I am all the world' The brutal rule of a West Bank settler

Palestinians tell ofblacklisted Yakov's reign across the Jabal Salman valley and heisjust one of many violent bosses

time-read
2 mins  |
September 13, 2024
Stormy waters New flashpoint emerges in South China Sea dispute
The Guardian Weekly

Stormy waters New flashpoint emerges in South China Sea dispute

Hopes that tensions in the South China Sea might ease have been short lived.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 13, 2024
'Justice delayed' Why trust in public inquiries to bring closure is fading
The Guardian Weekly

'Justice delayed' Why trust in public inquiries to bring closure is fading

After the final report of the Grenfell fire inquiry was published, Hisam Choucair, who lost six family members in the blaze, said: \"We did not ask for this inquiry... It's delayed the justice my family deserves.\"

time-read
2 mins  |
September 13, 2024
Celeriac soup with almond pangrattato
The Guardian Weekly

Celeriac soup with almond pangrattato

I'm not ashamed to say that as soon as September hits, my stick blender comes out. Just as I embrace salads when the clocks go forward in the UK, I wholeheartedly throw myself into soup season once the summer holidays end. Autumn is approaching in the northern hemisphere and I'm ready with my ladle. Celeriac is one of my favourite soup heroes, because it gives the creamiest, silkiest finish with little effort. You don't have to make the almond pangrattato, but it is a wonderful addition.

time-read
1 min  |
September 13, 2024
Are smoke signals telling me to make an oil change in the kitchen?
The Guardian Weekly

Are smoke signals telling me to make an oil change in the kitchen?

Should you that is, not can you) cook with extra-virgin olive oil? Antonio, Atlanta, Georgia, US

time-read
1 min  |
September 13, 2024
Going underground
The Guardian Weekly

Going underground

A darkly humorous encounter between an American spy-cop and the members ofan eco-commune she is hired to infiltrate

time-read
3 mins  |
September 13, 2024
All work and no play
The Guardian Weekly

All work and no play

Hard Graft, a powerfulnew London exhibition, focuses onworkers’ exploitation, from the ruined hands ofa washerwoman to mothers forced to sell their bodies

time-read
4 mins  |
September 13, 2024
What the princess and the shaman tell us about hereditary privilege
The Guardian Weekly

What the princess and the shaman tell us about hereditary privilege

It should have been an Instagram-perfect wedding image, but it turned out to be something more embarrassing.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 13, 2024