Statement from 25 Teachers Demanding Replacement to the Education Office
At a middle school in Gwangju Metropolitan City, a student went on a rampage with a weapon, prompting the education authorities to launch an investigation. Teachers demanded the replacement of the principal and vice principal, criticizing their lukewarm response to the situation.
On the 2nd, Yonhap News reported that the Gwangju Teachers' Union stated that 25 teachers at the middle school where a student wielded a weapon during class demanded the replacement of the principal, saying, "The principal did not fulfill any responsibilities in this incident."
The teachers claimed that the principal and vice principal, who are responsible for school management, failed to properly respond to violations of teachers' authority and instead engaged in incomprehensible behavior such as harassing teachers.
In a statement prepared for submission to the education office, the teachers said, "An incident that can be seen as a violation of teachers' authority occurred, but the principal took no special measures," adding, "The principal did not perform any duties that could be expected of the position."
The teachers initiated a signature campaign due to a recent weapon rampage by a student at the school. Around 3 p.m. on the 27th of last month, a 15-year-old third-year student, A, wielded a utility knife in the school hallway and went on a rampage toward teacher B, threatening to "kill" him. The rampage was stopped within three minutes by other teachers and students nearby.
However, the teachers claim that although the principal was informed of the situation, he did not immediately appear at the scene. The teachers pointed out, "Female teachers and students barely subdued the male student. The principal's office was less than a minute away, but the principal only appeared after the situation was resolved."
Additionally, the school allowed the victim teacher to work normally on the day of the incident. The police, who arrived the next day after a parent's report, dismissed the case as "an issue to be investigated internally." The teachers also claim that they were not informed that the police had visited.
Twenty-five teachers at a middle school in Gwangju Metropolitan City conducted a petition campaign requesting the replacement of the school principal and vice principal. [Photo by Gwangju Teachers' Union]
It was understood that student A had been regularly leaving early during a specific class period (7th period) each week, based on an agreement between the school and the parents. However, on that day, A requested to leave during the 6th period instead of the 7th, and teacher B reportedly enraged A by saying, "You must leave during the 7th period. Leaving now is not allowed," which triggered the rampage.
The teachers also revealed that the principal invited external personnel to conduct specific religious activities within the public school. These religious activities, which involved students, were stopped after a teacher's protest. The teachers further stated, "The principal sometimes shouted in a high-handed manner, causing teachers to fear coming to work."
Park Sam-won, chairman of the Gwangju Teachers' Union, said, "It is unusual for frontline teachers to collectively demand the replacement of the school principal and vice principal," adding, "The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education should immediately suspend the principal and vice principal and take measures to stabilize the school." The teachers' union plans to submit a petition to the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.
The education office plans to designate student A, who has an intellectual disability, as a special needs student and transfer him to a special school or class. They will also hold a teachers' authority protection committee meeting to provide psychological counseling and legal support to the victim teacher.
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