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Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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 Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:50 am Post subject: Teacher's Named Besmirched in Nasty Net Scandal |
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Teacher's Named Besmirched in Nasty Net Scandal
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A teacher has fallen victim to a cruel Internet campaign of false accusations. The teacher, from a middle school in Goyang City in Gyeonggi Province, said in a message on the school's website, �I know that my name is at the center of a controversy on the Internet. But I�m not afraid because I did nothing shameful.�
He posted the message as a plea to students to halt phony accusations and malicious messages that were dominating the school's website. The teacher "K" had earlier scolded some students for having haircuts considered inapporpriate according to the school's regulations.
When a female student identified as "A" fainted after K�s scolding, rumors spread among students that the teacher violently pushed the girl. Some students reported the teacher to police on assault charges and wrote in an online message board that A had bled and passed out. The online accusations began to pile up and the teacher's story became a hot search topic.
Several students defended the teacher, saying that K didn't shove the student and that A suffers from anemia that caused her to faint. Police investigated and found that K did not push the student; her parents confirmed the anemia rumors.
K posted an angry message on the school's website calling for the accusers to retract their statements. �Students who irresponsibly made a groundless claim on the Internet should acknowledge their fault and delete the postings. If they don�t do so, I will take legal action against them on charges of defamation. I would be a negligent teacher if I turned a blind eye to the bad actions of students in fear of criticism.�
He continued, �I didn't realize that the authority of teachers has been weakened to such an extent.� But the teacher said, �We teachers need to look after of our students with our true hearts even though the world has changed.� He asked the students to improve their behavior and focus on their studies rather than their appearance.
([email protected] ) |
I'm of two minds on this.
On the one hand, Korean teachers are sometimes too strict, even resorting to corporal punishment.
On the other hand, anyone who teaches in Korea knows that anonymous comments, student evaluations, etc., are often used by students as a means of exacting revenge against teachers. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:13 am Post subject: |
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| interesting...it wouldn't surprise me if the teacher gets fired whether they did it or not. |
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steroidmaximus
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Location: GangWon-Do
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seoulshock
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
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gsxr750r
Joined: 29 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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The educational system in other countries are struggling because of things like this... can you imagine what will happen to the Korean system when power is taken away from the teachers? Confucist respect for teachers is the only thing keeping Korean students in line -- they sure as hell don't respect the teachers for their quality of teaching!
Nobody will want to live here if this goes away, and more students become aware of just how bad things really are here. |
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rothkowitz
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Teachers are often in a vulnerable position and the subject of allegations.
Who can forget the madness of the "recovered memory" movement of the 80s and 90s.
It drove a lot of men out of teaching and was symptomatic of misandry in the west. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Teaching in the West with the exception of certain countries has become a joke in many of the cities whether it is Halifax, Montreal, Philadelphia, L.A., London, or Dallas. I heard it is somewhat better in Germany, but some of the immigrants can be a bit rowdier than the local Germans.
I like how the Korean kids are generally disciplined and the soft sappy ways would destroy the kids. I had my car broken into while I was grading papers at 7 p.m., and it was on school grounds. |
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Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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| Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:24 am Post subject: |
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Respect for Teachers Diminishing
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It is commonly thought that teachers are usually treated with great respect in Korea, with students calling them their ``parents of the classroom'' and even a song has been written for them in national textbooks.
Huh, a 30-year-old teacher, had a rude awakening in his first year at a high school in Kyonggi Province.
``Things have changed so much from when I was in high school, and even then teachers complained that we didn't treat them in the proper manner. These days, students openly criticize teachers' skills, chat or text message on mobile phones during classes and even miss school for days without explanation. We as teachers are supposed to be fine with that,'' said Huh, who believes that frequent news reports about corrupt teachers and failing students are further eroding the respect for his profession.
``There is nothing we can do as we are closed out of key discussions and decision making that could make the quality of education better. And we are forced to connect with our students only under a big, machine-like process that has the single purpose of sending them to a four-year college in Seoul, which makes our job similar to goal-oriented sports coaches,'' he said.
The diminishing respect toward teachers has reached a point where stories of them being attacked by students or their parents hardly causes one to bat an eyelash. According to a report yesterday by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA), there were 179 cases last year where teachers at secondary schools experienced problems with parents or students, which is a 24 percent increase from 2005. More than half of the cases were related to physical abuse.
More than 80 teachers have consulted the KFTA last year over lawsuits filed against them by the parents of their students, doubling the 40 teachers who asked for help in 2005, the association said.
``The rise in lawsuits epitomizes critical changes in the relationships between teachers, students and parents. There are even legal brokers looking to take advantage of the teachers who will see their job status threatened if sued by parents,'' said Shin Sung-ki, a director at KFTA.
It seems that students and parents are not the only ones who are treating teachers with less respect. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said it will have its schools move the celebrations for the May 15 Teachers' Day to February starting next year, to eliminate the possibilities of teachers receiving money or gifts from parents.
``Teachers' Day has traditionally been the time of year when parents compete to give teachers gifts to seek an advantage for their children in classrooms. It's more about a day of inconvenience than pride anyway,'' said Cho Hak-gyu, an official at the education office.
Although from a school in a different district, Huh takes the move more personally.
``It doesn't help us in any way if administrators openly regard us as potential bribe-takers,'' he said.
[email protected]
03-29-2007 |
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Zolt
Joined: 18 May 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:30 am Post subject: |
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Teacher's name besmirched
hmm, let me guess. Could the guy's name be Kim?
Big news... |
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