Parents Stage Solo Protest Demanding Teacher Dismissal After College Entrance Exam Cheating Detected

Test End Bell Rings, Marking Attempt Detected by Proctor
"Put Down Pen After Bell Rang" Claim... Parents Join In
Proctor Visits School, Holds Solo Protest Saying "Step Down from Teaching Position"

A controversy arose when the parent of a student caught cheating during the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) visited the school of the proctor and held a one-person protest.

According to the Seoul Teachers' Union and others on the 22nd, a student taking the CSAT at a school in Seoul on the 16th was caught cheating after the exam bell rang and the student tried to mark answers. However, the student’s side claimed that they put down the pen immediately after the bell rang, but the proctor restrained them.

Parent Visits Proctor Who Caught CSAT Cheating

On the 16th, when the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test was held, a test taker was doing final studies before the exam started. Photo by Joint Press Corps

However, the parent of the student found out the school where the proctor works and visited to express their protest. Starting the day after the CSAT, they began a one-person protest at the school with the message to "resign from the teaching profession." The placards reportedly included phrases such as "Dismiss Teacher A" and "Please report cases of human rights violations by Teacher A."

Originally, the location and workplace of CSAT proctors are confidential. Accordingly, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education took protective measures such as security for the proctor at the school’s request. However, there is no way to prevent the parent’s one-person protest, leading to calls for fundamental countermeasures.

The Seoul Teachers' Union stated, "The CSAT proctor manual created by the Ministry of Education does not specify what to do if a proctor is attacked by a parent," adding, "Security services can be provided only in cases of infringement on teachers’ rights, and standards at the Ministry of Education level need to be established."

When cheating is detected, the proctor and the student write a report according to the manual and submit it to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation. Then, the ‘CSAT Cheating Review Committee’ established by the Ministry of Education reviews the degree of sanctions. The committee notifies the parties of the review results before the CSAT score notification. Depending on the case, disqualification from taking the exam the following year is also possible.