從一位韓國小學教師的自殺談韓國教師權侵害的問題

Discussing the Issue of Teachers’ Rights Infringement in South Korea Through the Suicide of an Elementary School Teacher

2023年7月18日，首爾第二小學發生一名教師自殺事件，揭開了教師權益受到嚴重侵害的黑幕。根據韓國教育部的數據，自2018年至2023年6月底，共有100名公立中小學教師自殺。教師面臨的多重壓力，例如與學生衝突、缺乏尊重的工作環境，以及實際工資的下降，都是導致教師自殺的原因。家長的不合理行為，例如辱罵教師和私人制裁，以及社會對教師權益的忽視，使得教師不得不在沒有支持的情況下孤軍奮戰，諷刺的是，在現今社會，連對教師的尊重也必須以強制執行之方式實現。韓國最高法院首次裁定，教師的專業和教學權利受到憲法和法律保障，不應受到侵犯或不公正干涉。韓國總統尹錫烈在內閣會議上強調，保護教師權利是保障學生人權和學習權的基礎。政府在教師團體的抗議壓力下，通過修訂「教師權益四法」，確立教師權益受法律保障。修法內容涵蓋保護教師免受虐待兒童事件的隨意舉報、保護教師的教育活動免受惡意投訴、加強對違法者的處置、強化政府的責任和行政支援體系，以及明確指導兒童生活的權力。本文的目的是了解韓國中小學教師的身心狀況及其在學校教學中被侵權的情形，介紹韓國教師權益立法的發展過程，並提出結論與啟示。

On July 18, 2023, a teacher’s suicide at Seoul Seo Yi Elementary School highlighted the severe issue of teachers’ rights being infringed upon. According to the Korean Ministry of Education, 100 public elementary and secondary school teachers committed suicide between 2018 and June 2023. Teachers face multiple pressures, including student violence, a lack of respect in the workplace, and declining real wages, which contribute to the high rate of suicides among teachers. Parents’ unreasonable actions, such as verbally abusing teachers and personal sanctions, coupled with society’s disregard for teachers’ rights, force teachers to struggle alone without support. Ironically, in today’s society, respect for teachers must be enforced. The Korean Supreme Court ruled for the first time that teachers’ professional and educational rights are protected by the Constitution and law, and should not be violated or unjustly interfered with. In a cabinet meeting, President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized that protecting teachers’ rights is fundamental to safeguarding students’ human rights and the right to education. Under pressure from teachers’ protests, the government amended the “Four Laws on Teachers’ Rights” to ensure teachers’ rights are legally protected. The amendments include protection from arbitrary accusations of child abuse, protection of teachers’ educational activities from malicious complaints, stricter measures against offenders, enhanced governmental responsibility and administrative support systems, and clear guidelines on children’s guidance rights. This article aims to understand the mental and physical conditions of elementary and secondary school teachers in Korea, the infringements they face in teaching, introduce the development process of legislation for teachers’ rights in Korea, and provide conclusions and insights.