Nearly half of Korean teachers said their pride in the profession has declined over the past one to two years, according to a survey released ahead of Teachers' Day. The findings point to a deepening malaise in classrooms, driven by accumulating anxiety over infringements on teaching authority, malicious complaints and child abuse reports.
In a survey of 8,900 teachers at kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools, and universities nationwide released by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations (KFTA) on Tuesday, 49.2% of respondents said their pride in the teaching profession had declined. Only 12.8% said it had increased.
Asked when they feel most powerless, 67.9% pointed to "moments when they are not trusted by students or parents and their teaching authority is violated." Indiscriminate child abuse reports and exposure to parental complaints (28.9%) were cited most frequently as the main reason behind the recent exodus from the profession and the decline in new teachers. Low pay and stagnant allowances (28.1%), as well as the weakening of authority over student guidance (23.5%), were also identified as major factors.
Excessive Administrative Work: 9 in 10 Say Paperwork Outweighs Teaching
Teachers clearly feel they are spending more energy on administrative duties than on classroom instruction and student guidance. Of all respondents, 90.8% said administrative work accounts for 40% or more of their duties.
Some 43.3% said "administrative work takes up around 60% of the total, disrupting educational activities," while 14.6% complained that "it accounts for more than 80%, making lesson preparation and student guidance effectively difficult." In other words, teachers are spending more time in meeting rooms and on official documents than in classrooms.
On the proposal to record serious violations of teaching authority in student records, 89.2% expressed support. The result is seen as reflecting demand from the field for a system that imposes substantive responsibility, beyond mere reprimands.
"Wouldn't Become a Teacher If Born Again": 7 in 10 Busan Teachers Negative
A separate survey released the same day by the Busan Teachers' Union showed skepticism toward the profession in even sharper relief. Of 383 teachers surveyed in the Busan area, 69.2% said they "would not choose teaching if they had to pick a profession again." That is higher than the national average of 65.3%.
Busan teachers cited the workload from frequent meeting attendance as the main reason for avoiding the head teacher role. Only 3.8% considered the system for separating class-disrupting students to be effective, and just 3.0% viewed the complaint response system positively.
In addition, 85.1% said the "emotional abuse" clause in the Child Abuse Punishment Act restricts normal educational activities, while 80.9% said they fear being reported for child abuse even during legitimate guidance.
Still, the moment when teachers feel the greatest sense of reward was "when they see a student's growth and change" (42.7%), followed by "when they receive gratitude and encouragement from students and parents" (25.8%).
Teachers' sense of calling toward their students continues to serve as a pillar in the field, but concerns are growing that without protecting teaching authority and improving working conditions, the flow of teachers leaving the classroom will be difficult to stem.
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