Posting in Teacher Community
Gyeongnam Office of Education "Investigating the Facts"
A teacher at an elementary school in Gyeongnam, who was appointed just two months ago, has claimed that the principal subjected her to appearance-based disparagement and personal insults, saying things like "If the teacher is pretty, there are no complaints," prompting the education authorities to launch an investigation.
According to the Gyeongnam Office of Education on the 1st, Teacher A (25), who is working at an elementary school in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, posted on a teacher community on the 31st of last month about the experiences she had endured at the school.
Teacher A, who was newly appointed on September 1st, wrote that the principal scrutinized her attire from the very first day of her appointment and said, "I dislike plain clothes and looking young, so even if you have to go into debt, buy clothes at a department store."
Teacher A also revealed that the principal said, "Kids these days look at a teacher from head to toe," and made the remark, "If the teacher is pretty, there are no complaints."
She added that when she had a meeting with a parent regarding a student she taught who had slapped a friend, the principal publicly criticized her at a staff meeting, saying, "New teachers often receive complaints from parents because they lack experience."
In addition, the teacher wrote that the principal compared her career with his own by writing it on the blackboard and told the students, "You all are having a hard time because Teacher A's career is short."
Teacher A expressed her distress over the principal's dismissive language and behavior, stating, "One day, I suddenly found myself writing a suicide note on the computer screen, and I felt sad and heartbroken." She continued, "I have endured the past two months trying to do well in a collapsing classroom, but when I look at the prescribed medicine bottles, sorrow overwhelms me. I was truly healthy when I passed the appointment exam and enjoyed hobbies during the six months of waiting."
Related agencies, including the Gyeongnam Office of Education, reportedly began fact-finding on the 31st after receiving a report from the teachers' union.
An official from the provincial education office told Yonhap News, "The relevant support office has counseled Teacher A and is currently visiting the school to assess the situation. We plan to listen to Teacher A’s difficulties and requests and convey them to the principal."
The post that Teacher A uploaded to the community has since been deleted.
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