‘Could Cause Misunderstandings... Don’t Even Touch’
Childcare Teacher: “CCTV Restricts Educational Activities”
# Kim Mo, a 4th-year daycare teacher (30), is suffering from severe stress due to the CCTV installed in the daycare center. Recently, she struggled with a parent who, after their child left the daycare, demanded to see the CCTV footage without any reason, claiming their child was feeling unwell. Although Kim explained the daily routine at the daycare in detail, the parent did not believe anything and even brought the police.
Only after reviewing the CCTV footage did the parent apologize and leave. Fortunately, no major issues occurred, but Kim was already physically and mentally exhausted. Kim expressed her feelings about the daycare CCTV installation, saying, “You can think of it as someone watching you the entire time you are working at your job,” adding, “I was also instructed not to touch the child’s head because it could be suspected as child abuse.”
Unrelated to the article content. Gender Equality Special Series Nami Island Daycare Center. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@
As the mandatory installation of CCTV in daycare centers enters its 10th year, many daycare teachers are reported to experience severe stress during the CCTV viewing process.
A paper published in the Korean Journal of Early Childhood Education titled ‘Differences in Daycare Teachers’ Perceptions and Job Stress According to CCTV Installation’ reveals teachers’ candid perceptions of CCTV. Among teachers working in daycare centers with CCTV installed, the average score for the statement that CCTV is perceived as a restriction on educational activities was 3.54 out of 5.
This is higher than the response (3.29) from teachers working in daycare centers without CCTV. Additionally, the response supporting the mandatory installation of CCTV was relatively low at 2.74, while the preference for working at centers without CCTV was comparatively high at 3.37.
These research findings are also reflected in the educational field. Han Mo, a director of a daycare center in Songpa-gu, Seoul (56), said, “I try my best to mediate and resolve misunderstandings between teachers and parents through dialogue to avoid conflicts, but it becomes really difficult when parents insist on seeing the CCTV first,” adding, “In that process, teachers lose confidence and self-esteem and sometimes feel so distressed that they want to quit their jobs.”
Lee Mo, a 6th-year teacher (29), also shared, “When I try to talk to children who need discipline, they often run away or try to play around,” and added, “At times like that, I hold their arm or part of their body to talk, but I’m scared that this might be perceived as child abuse in the CCTV footage later.”
Experts point out that since CCTV installation is mandatory, institutional measures to protect teachers are necessary. Seo Young-sook, an emeritus professor in the Department of Child Welfare at Sookmyung Women’s University, said, “Parents are usually in an emotionally heightened state, so during the CCTV viewing request process, teachers are sometimes treated carelessly. This can lead to hardworking teachers fearing and avoiding the workplace,” and advised, “An environment where teachers can be protected during the CCTV viewing process is needed.”
Jung Hye-kyung, vice chairperson of the Private Sector Committee of the Korea Daycare Center Association, also emphasized, “While daycare CCTV certainly has positive functions, teachers experience severe stress during the process of reviewing footage and ongoing investigations and lawsuits,” and stressed, “There is a need to establish an objective mediation body that can review cases together.”
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