1 in 4 teachers call for stronger punishment of misbehaving students in S. Korea

SEOUL. KAZINFORM - One in four teachers cited insufficient punishment for misbehaving students and parents as the main reason for the increase in the infringement of teachers' rights, a poll by the education ministry showed Thursday, Yonhap reports.

In the online survey of 22,084 teachers working at 1,315 kindergartens and elementary, middle, high and special-education schools nationwide, 25 percent raised the need to strictly punish students and parents who disrupt their educational activities.

Another 23.8 percent said the overemphasis on students' human rights compared to teachers' rights is problematic, according to the multiple-answer poll conducted early last month.

An elementary school teacher in Seoul took her own life in late July and several elementary school teachers have recently been assaulted by students in classrooms, prompting calls for measures to protect teachers' rights.

The survey also found 90 percent of the teachers supporting a plan to keep details of students disciplined for violating teachers' rights in their school life records.