A recent report has revealed a sharp increase in the number of elementary school teachers in South Korea leaving their jobs prematurely. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEJONG, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent report has revealed a sharp increase in the number of elementary school teachers in South Korea leaving their jobs prematurely, reaching a five-year high in 2023.
According to data obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sun-mee from regional education offices, the early resignation rate among elementary school teachers at public, national, and private schools reached 2.16% last year. This marks a significant jump from the previous year’s 1.71% and the highest level since 2019.
The trend of early resignations has been relatively stable in recent years, hovering around 1.6% to 1.7% between 2019 and 2022. However, the sudden increase of 0.45 percentage points in 2023 has raised concerns within the education sector.
The data also shows that 0.02% of teachers left within their first year of service, 0.14% within five years, and 0.21% within ten years, all showing slight increases from the previous year.
Additionally, 13 elementary education departments at universities and colleges of education reported 667 dropouts (including voluntary withdrawals and failure to register or return from leaves) in 2023, a 34.5% increase from the previous year’s 496. This surge is seen as reflecting a declining interest in elementary school teaching as a career path.
Experts attribute this trend partly to the aftermath of the Seoi Elementary School incident in July 2023 in which a teacher took her own life after alleged harassment from parents, which reportedly led to widespread disillusionment among junior teachers and teacher candidates.
A recent survey by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) on teachers’ mental health paints a concerning picture. Using structured questionnaire items (CESD), the survey found that 23.4% of teachers showed symptoms of mild depression, while 43.9% exhibited severe depressive symptoms.
Moreover, 40.3% of respondents reported seeking psychological counseling or psychiatric treatment in the past year.
The KTU emphasized that teachers have long been advocating for improved educational conditions to normalize public education, arguing that individual capabilities cannot overcome systemic challenges.
The union is urging the government and the National Assembly to implement effective measures if they genuinely wish to revitalize public education.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
