South Korean Educators Lead OECD in Career Regret from Stress

The Growing Crisis of Teacher Stress in South Korea

A recent case involving an elementary school teacher, referred to as A, highlights the intense stress and challenges faced by educators in South Korea. A was diagnosed with depression after a series of events that began when they reprimanded a student who used inappropriate language during class. The student then ran out of the classroom, leading to protests from the parents. They accused A of speaking to their child in a harsh manner and even threatened to report them for child abuse. As complaints continued, A lost motivation and became increasingly anxious, eventually requiring hospitalization.

This incident is not isolated. South Korean teachers are experiencing some of the highest levels of stress globally due to parental complaints and verbal violence from students. According to the 'International Comparative Study on Teachers and Teaching Environments (TALIS) 2024' conducted by the OECD, 56.9% of South Korean teachers identified responding to parental complaints as a major stress factor. This figure ranks second among surveyed countries, just behind Portugal, and is significantly higher than the OECD average of 41.6%. The percentage has also increased by 16.5 points since the 2018 survey.

The TALIS survey, which has been conducted every five to six years since 2008, provides insights into the working conditions of teachers across various education levels. In the 2024 edition, data was collected from 120,000 middle school teachers and 11,000 principals in 54 countries, including 22 non-member states. South Korea contributed 3,477 teachers and 173 principals to the study.

South Korean teachers face significant stress in areas outside their core responsibilities, such as dealing with administrative tasks and managing conflicts. For example, 30.7% of teachers reported that student threats and verbal violence were a major stressor, which is double the OECD average of 17.6%. This figure ranked fourth among all participating countries. On the other hand, teachers experienced less stress related to educational demands, such as preparing excessive materials for classes, at 18.1%, which is below the OECD average.

In addition, South Korean teachers spend an average of 8 hours per week on administrative tasks, 3.3 hours more than the OECD average of 4.7 hours. This places them third overall in terms of administrative workload.

In real-world school settings, many teachers have encountered threats from students. Middle school teacher B in Gyeongbuk faced severe humiliation after pointing out a student applying makeup during class. The student cursed at B and even told a friend, “I want to kill Teacher B.” Despite a committee being formed to protect teaching authority, the student received only a 10-day suspension.

Despite these challenges, 76.9% of South Korean teachers believe that teaching is a profession with more advantages than disadvantages, slightly higher than the OECD average of 73.9%. However, 21% of teachers expressed regret about choosing this career, the highest rate among surveyed countries. While 35.2% of teachers felt that the profession is socially recognized, this number has dropped by 32 percentage points compared to six years ago.

Teachers often express frustration that little has changed since the controversy surrounding the death of a teacher at Seo-i Elementary School in 2023. Following this incident, the Ministry of Education announced that schools would handle all complaints. However, in practice, this system does not function effectively. A middle school teacher in Gyeongnam noted that while a complaint response team may initially receive calls, the resolution is often left to the homeroom teacher who is most familiar with the situation.

Educators and their organizations are calling for significant reductions in both complaints and administrative tasks to allow teachers to focus more on their primary role: teaching. Jang Seung-hyeok, a spokesperson for the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations, emphasized the need for measures to strongly punish even a single "malicious complaint" as a violation of teaching authority.