Amid ongoing debates over an elementary school teacher's extreme choice at a school in Seocho-gu, Seoul, former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok raised his voice, calling for a ban on personal communication between parents and teachers.
On the 20th, Lee posted on his social media (SNS), saying, "Guardians should be prohibited from communicating personally with teachers, and communication should be forced to occur only through school counselors or staff at the school level, or in online spaces where multiple people can see."
He argued that if guardians communicate directly with teachers, it becomes difficult for teachers to focus on their work. He said, "Just as if the police focus on making good stories and shooting promotional videos instead of catching thieves, the neighborhood's security would be at risk, if teachers cannot concentrate on teaching and learning, the education in that area will inevitably be endangered."
On the 18th, homeroom teacher A at an elementary school in Seocho-gu, Seoul, was found dead by an extreme choice inside the school. Regarding this, stories have spread in the education community and internet forums that A was troubled by parental complaints while handling school violence duties, but the school clarified that the deceased's assigned duties did not include school violence work.
Lee said, "I hope the conclusion of this matter does not come out as an overly archaic result centered on the ambiguous term 'restoration of teacher authority,' which is perceived differently depending on the subject. Some might make outrageous remarks like 'the old days when we used to beat students to establish teacher authority were better,' and others might say something like 'we are all sinners.' The alternative should neither go back to beating students nor be empty talk."
He added, "I hope there is a system corresponding to a free-form punishment to maintain order within schools. I believe something more is needed between the method of beating students in educational settings and the serious punishments such as community service or forced transfer."
He also pointed out that the elementary teacher's death should not be politicized. In another SNS post, he said, "Assuming the principal is not risking their life to lie, almost none of the statements circulating online are true. Rather, I hope the deceased's death is not used as a subject of political strife or ridicule," adding, "Let's not engage in disgraceful behavior trying desperately to find anyone even slightly connected to the opposing party."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
