Parents no longer able to visit children freely — or harass their teachers — as schools adopt reservation system

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Parents no longer able to visit children freely — or harass their teachers — as schools adopt reservation system

Published: 26 Aug. 2024, 16:20

Security guard and faculty prevent parents from entering the Seoul Dongdap Elementary School in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, in March. [SEOUL DONGDAP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL]

Parents in Seoul will no longer be allowed to visit their children's schools or meet teachers without booking appointments in advance.

At the gate of Seoul Dongdap Elementary School in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, a signboard reads, “Please make an appointment through the KakaoTalk channel when visiting the school.” Above the gate, a banner reads, “Reinforcing visitor regulations, including for parents.”

Dongdap Elementary is among 68 schools where the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has been running a pilot system requiring parents to schedule visits beforehand since last November.

“Before the system, some parents would follow their children into school and even peek into classrooms while classes are starting,” the Seoul Dongdap Elementary School's vice principal said, adding that the system has been effectively protecting teachers and restricting unauthorized visitors.

This reservation system is part of a broader set of policies introduced after a 23-year-old teacher took her own life at school following alleged harassment by parents. Other measures include using an AI chatbot to handle complaints and installing recording devices in school counseling offices.

Starting in October, the system will be expanded to 1,300 elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul. Parents or visitors must now call or make an online reservation and receive approval from the school before visiting.

While some view the system positively for safeguarding teachers' rights, others are concerned that schools are becoming less open.

In a survey by the Seoul Teachers Union, 36 out of 51 teachers surveyed said the system “[most] likely” had a positive impact on teaching activities. Additionally, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s survey of 252 teachers from participating schools found that 71.8 percent wanted to adopt the system entirely.

Cho Hee-yeon, the Chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, speaks during a meeting held on Aug. 5 in the Jongno District, central Seoul, to reinforce the teaching activities of teachers. [NEWS1]

However, some staff called for more vigorous enforcement of the system and better promotion. Responding to one of the short-answer questions in the local education office’s survey, one teacher wrote, “I have seen an elderly security guard unable to block parents who were trying to enter a classroom without a reservation.” Another pointed out that many parents are unaware of the system, increasing the workload for staff.

Some also called for improving the system itself. A teacher who participated in the system wrote, “If a homeroom teacher is added as an approver in the current system, every single visit request sends a notification to the teacher in real-time,” which can be overwhelming. Despite raising this concern multiple times, the teacher said, “It has not been reflected in the system.”

Another teacher raised concerns about parents who reserve visits for one teacher but visit a different one, highlighting the need for clearer verification of visit purposes and locations.

“I have seen cases where parents make a reservation with a librarian or sibling’s homeroom teacher but instead visit another teacher,” the teacher wrote.

Despite the generally positive feedback from school faculty, some parents are unhappy with the system. On a blog post Seoul’s education chief Cho Hee-yeon uploaded last year regarding the reservation system, one commenter wrote, “Parents are not dangerous people. The school is being too closed.” Another posted, “Well-intentioned parents or those needing to visit urgently shouldn't face difficulties.”

Complaints were also filed on e-People, an online government service where people can file complaints to the head of their local government, asking why such reservations are necessary to meet their own children.

One parent noted that the system could be challenging for grandparents or others who aren't tech-savvy.

However, a parent of a sixth grader emphasized the importance of parents cooperating with the reservation system for school safety, recalling an unsavory incident in which a strange man joined a school parent group on Naver Band — a mobile community app — and inappropriately contacted mothers.

“Despite some inconveniences, I hope parents understand the system's intent to make a safer school environment for both students and teachers,” said Cho.

BY CHOI MIN-JI, SEO JI-WON, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]