As the Netflix series Teach You a Lesson continues to gain worldwide popularity, even ranking first in the non-English TV category, attention is turning to remarks made by Gyeonggi Province Superintendent-Elect Ahn Min Seok, who revealed plans to establish a full-fledged “Gyeonggi-Style Educational Rights Protection Office.”
The drama Teach You a Lesson centers on a fictional special organization of the Ministry of Education called the Educational Rights Protection Bureau. In schools where teachers’ authority has collapsed, investigators are sent to deal with delinquent students and abusive parents using unconventional and often violent methods to restore order. The US business magazine Forbes even praised the series as “one of the best dramas of the year and very compelling”.
Speaking at the June 15 launch ceremony of the 6th Gyeonggi Provincial Superintendents Transition Committee held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Ahn stressed the urgent need to restore teachers’ authority.
“No matter how hard the president pushes education reform, meaningful education cannot happen without restoring teachers’ authority,” Ahn said. “The first is the authority of the teacher, the second is the authority of the teacher, and the third is the authority of the teacher.”
He then proposed a discussion on the creation of an Office for the Protection of Educational Rights, adding that he was surprised to find out how many teachers have experience in elite military units.
“I had no idea there were so many teachers who had previously served in Special Forces or the Marine Corps,” he said. “Lawyers and even prosecutors with special forces or Marine backgrounds have contacted me.” Ahn stressed that his goal would be to create a version of “Teach You a Lesson Season 2” in reality – a version that protects teachers without relying on violence while effectively safeguarding educational authority in schools.
Previously, the Democracy Research Institute, a think tank affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, also proposed establishing an Office for the Protection of Educational Activities within the Ministry of Education. However, unlike the special punitive force of the drama, the suggested institution would focus on protection procedures, conflict mediation and shared responsibility.
The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations also weighed in, saying, “The reality of schools is even more devastating than what is shown in the drama.” The organization expressed sympathy for the series for openly exposing the desperation teachers face and the darker realities of modern education.
In fact, South Korean teachers are increasingly facing child abuse lawsuits over legitimate discipline and school guidance. There have also been tragic cases of students attacking teachers during lessons, as well as educators making extreme decisions due to complaints and malicious threats from parents.
As concerns about the collapse of school authority continue to grow, many are now wondering whether the Office for the Protection of Educational Rights depicted in Teach You a Lesson could eventually become a reality.
Sources: Nate
