Student sparks debate after defending teachers who showed World Cup match in class
"The principal treated the teachers like criminals and tried to root them out," the student wrote. "The teachers gave up class time to show us the game, hoping to give us — worn out from studying — an unforgettable memory."
Teachers at a high school in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang, let their students watch a World Cup match during class. After the principal berated the teachers, a student hit back with a public statement, setting off a debate over what "learning in the classroom" actually means.
According to the North Gyeongsang Office of Education, some teachers allowed students to watch Korea's World Cup match in class on Friday. The principal then scolded the teachers, saying that finals were just around the corner. The school's finals are set to begin on June 25.
On Saturday, one student from the class posted a statement on an online forum calling for an apology to teachers and students.
"The principal treated the teachers like criminals and tried to root them out," the student wrote. "The teachers gave up class time to show us the game, hoping to give us — worn out from studying — an unforgettable memory. It was 'living education,' where we learn a sense of community and teachers and students build an emotional bond."
The statement set off a heated online back-and-forth over the educational value of watching the World Cup and whether it infringed on students' right to learn.
The North Gyeongsang Office of Education said that watching the World Cup can be conducted as an educational activity, provided it aligns with the curriculum and the school community agrees.
"If teachers, students and parents are consulted, the right to learn of students who do not want to watch is protected, and plans for missed and make-up classes are in place, then watching is entirely possible," a provincial education official said. "But this case appears to have gone ahead abruptly, without prior consultation."
The student's post has since been deleted, the official said.
"The mood inside the school has calmed, but the students are confused by the controversy continuing outside," the official added. "How the school runs its academics is at the principal's discretion, and the principal, too, was probably trying to protect the students' exam preparation and right to learn."
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
