[Letters] Politics and teaching don’t mix

A number of members of Korea Teachers and Education Workers’ Union (KTU) are to be laid off from schools. This is because it turned out that those “teachers” joined the Democratic Labor Party. Of course, those teachers being laid off are so furious as to describe the act as “an undemocratic, tyrannical, unethical decision.”

I cannot agree more with the governments’ decision. It is stated in the constitution that teachers and educators as well as all government employees have the duty to maintain political neutrality.

The teachers of the organization claim that they maintain “true education.” How can teachers, who do not even understand the Constitution of their own country, be true teachers? They are asserting that they never joined the party; they only gave some monetary donation out of pure goodwill.

Give me a break! They are only playing with words. This is no place for puns. Sure, in your logic, a man was killed by me, and it is not that I killed a man. Huh?

Maintaining political neutrality is not a choice; it is a must for teachers. Who are they do tell students that one is right and the other is wrong when it comes to politics? Of course, students are not so absentminded as to actually believe everything that teachers tell them. But what is important here is that teachers must provide the same portion of both sides without any personal feelings. When I was a student, my so-called “teacher of true education” screened some films of police beating up demonstrators. Only that part, and not showing what happened before, where protestors actually started throwing rocks at the police.

KTU screams that such governmental decision is aimed at the upcoming national vote. They say it is unfair. I think, what is really unfair is that Labor party members are becoming teachers and brain-washing our children, who will be the potential voters in the future. How can a party member be a public school teacher? Middle and high schools are not colleges! Neutrality is essential! What would have happened if members of the Grand National Party were school teachers? KTU would have marched out to the street screaming and yelling that Korean education is under tyranny, it is illegal, and so on with their “peaceful” candles in their hands. I can just see it.

They are so two-faced. They pretend to be true educators, but they are actually the most corrupted of all; taking advantage of our innocent children for their own greedy political interest.

KTU has no right whatsoever to say they can brainwash our children with their “precious” ideology of “dear leader.” They have no right to violate the Constitution of our country. If they joined political parties, they should step out from schools. I don’t care whether they joined Grand National Party, New Progressive Party, any party. It is that very behavior of losing political neutrality that matters. Shame on you KTU. You are the ones that not only ruin our children and Constitution, but also our national security.

Kang Yoon-seung,

student of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies