In response to a recent incident in which a female teacher at a middle school in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, sustained serious injuries after being assaulted by a student during student guidance, the South Gyeongsang Teachers' Union has called for measures to protect teachers' rights.
On August 25, the union released a statement urging, "Teachers' legitimate guidance of students must be protected, and institutional and effective measures to safeguard teachers' rights should be established immediately."
The union stated, "This incident, in which a teacher diligently fulfilling her educational duties suffered serious physical harm at the hands of a student, is a grave example of the collapse of teachers' authority in our society and shows the extent to which teachers' rights are respected."
They further emphasized, "Legitimate student guidance by teachers must be guaranteed in schools, and violence against teachers during educational activities can never be tolerated."
They pointed out, "Assaults on teachers by students are not merely isolated incidents, but rather an extreme reality that teachers in schools face every day."
They added, "The Office of Education and schools must not downplay the incident or treat it as a matter of personal conflict," and insisted, "Immediate and decisive action must be taken."
They also demanded: ▲ a thorough investigation into the incident, ▲ official recognition of the teacher's injury as an occupational accident, ▲ support and protection for the victim teacher's safety and physical and psychological recovery, ▲ improvement of the effectiveness of laws and systems related to teachers' rights protection, and ▲ the establishment and application of fundamental measures to prevent the recurrence of teacher assault incidents.
The union also called for clarification of principles regarding teacher assault and infringement of teachers' rights, separation measures for offending students, immediate implementation of systems to ensure teacher safety, and the presentation of visible measures to restore the educational community.
Chairman Lee Chungsoo stated, "Our South Gyeongsang Teachers' Union will not take this incident lightly and will closely monitor the situation," adding, "We will do everything possible to create an educational environment where teachers are respected and schools are safe."
According to the South Gyeongsang Office of Education, at around 12:50 p.m. on August 19, a third-year male student, referred to as Student A, pushed a teacher in her 50s, Ms. B, in a first-year classroom at a middle school in Changwon.
Ms. B was pushed from the classroom entrance into the hallway, sustaining injuries to her back and other areas, resulting in a serious injury requiring 12 weeks of recovery and is currently hospitalized for treatment.
It was reported that Student A entered the first-year classroom during lunchtime, and when Ms. B, the homeroom teacher of the class, asked, "Why is a third-year student in a first-year classroom?" he acted in this way.
The provincial Office of Education is currently investigating the matter according to procedures, while also providing emergency protection measures for the teacher and psychological support for students who witnessed the incident.
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