Elementary Student's 'Finger Insult' to Teacher Recognized as Violation of Teacher's Rights in Retrial

Education Rights Protection Committee Judges as Infringement on Educational Activities
Union: "Awareness of Education Rights Violations Must Be Raised"

At an elementary school in Nonsan, Chungnam, controversy arose when a student made a finger gesture insult toward a teacher but it was initially ruled not to be a violation of teacher's rights; however, this decision was eventually overturned upon reconsideration.

According to the Daejeon Teachers' Union on the 11th, the related Teacher Rights Protection Committee (TRPC) recently held a re-examination and ultimately judged that the student's finger gesture insult constituted an act infringing on educational activities.

Previously, in December last year, teacher A, who was working at an elementary school in Nonsan, called B and C, who were quarreling, to admonish them. After B swore, he entered the classroom and made a finger gesture insult toward teacher A.

However, the school's TRPC ruled that it was "not a case of teacher's rights infringement," and dissatisfied with this, teacher A filed an administrative appeal with the Chungnam Office of Education.

In May, the Chungnam Office of Education canceled the "not a case of teacher's rights infringement" decision, and according to the revised Teacher Status Act, the support office (not the school) held a TRPC re-examination and finally determined that it was an act infringing on educational activities.

A union official said, "Through this decision, we hope to raise awareness about teacher's rights infringement and provide an opportunity for teachers who are experiencing such violations to find courage."