It has been revealed that a teacher was suspended from their position after being reported for child abuse by a Ministry of Education official who is the parent of an elementary school student, sparking controversy. However, it has been confirmed that the prosecution has already dismissed the charges against the teacher.
On the 11th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "The Women's and Children's Crime Investigation Division of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office judged that the case filed by a Ministry of Education official accusing the homeroom teacher of emotionally abusing their elementary school child did not constitute emotional abuse, and on May 30, the charges were dismissed."
They added, "There were no separate appeals or objections filed against the prosecution's decision not to indict, so the case has been closed."
Representatives of the Coalition for the Normalization of Public Education held a rally on the afternoon of the 8th in front of the Ministry of Education at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City, urging the normalization of public education.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office also stated, "Going forward, the prosecution will ensure that in child abuse cases, the fundamental rights of both teachers and children are fully protected, while making decisions that are concretely reasonable on a case-by-case basis."
According to the Elementary School Teachers' Union, Ministry of Education official A reported homeroom teacher B, who was in charge of A's third-grade child, for child abuse in October last year. B was immediately suspended from their position in accordance with relevant laws.
The union reported that A frequently called B late at night and even threatened B by saying that the homeroom teacher had been changed due to A's complaints when the child was in second grade.
The union also stated that A sent a letter containing rules to be followed while guiding the child to homeroom teacher C, who succeeded B. The letter reportedly included difficult-to-understand demands such as: ▲ Absolutely do not use words like "Don't," "No," or "Stop!!" to restrain the child ▲ Thoroughly take sides when conflicts arise among peers ▲ Use a tone of suggestion or request rather than commands or orders (△ Because the child has the DNA of a king, they understand well even if spoken to politely as if addressing a prince. Speaking in a commanding or ordering manner only accumulates anger in the child △ Especially, taking on leadership roles such as class president or line leader boosts self-esteem and helps with school adaptation) ▲ The child is very dry in terms of praise and apologies (△ Lack of praise, feelings of unfairness, and insufficient apologies are major causes of brain damage △ Praise should be exaggerated, and apologies frequent and sincere) ▲ Do not force the child to greet by putting hands together and bowing, etc.
The union said that A reported B for child abuse, and the Sejong Office of Education immediately suspended B, marking a decisive incident that led the union to file a constitutional complaint regarding the Child Welfare Act.
Meanwhile, the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it notified A of their suspension today after receiving a request from the Ministry of Education the previous day. It is known that A worked at the Ministry of Education until last year and was transferred to the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education earlier this year. The Ministry of Education notified the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education to initiate an investigation into A and requested their suspension.
B was cleared of charges by the police in February this year and reinstated.
The school held a Teacher's Rights Protection Committee meeting in June, judged A's actions as a clear violation of teacher's rights, and imposed disciplinary measures including a written apology and a pledge to prevent recurrence. However, it is reported that A has not complied with the committee's disciplinary measures to date.
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