A single elementary school class saw its homeroom teacher replaced six times in one year because of repeated complaints from parents. Some parents are said to have called the school more than 100 times.
As more teachers give up homeroom duties because they cannot withstand excessive demands and complaints from parents, concerns are growing that students' right to learn is being undermined.
Teacher Replaced Six Times Over Parent Complaints
A fifth-grade class at an elementary school in Jeonju, Jeonbuk State, went through six homeroom teachers over the course of 2024, according to education officials on the 14th.
The trouble began with a series of complaints from some parents, who took their grievances to the school, saying the teacher "glares at my child" and "neglects my child."
The situation did not change after a new homeroom teacher was assigned. Some parents continued to raise objections, and the replacements kept coming. One parent called the school 113 times and another 61 times, according to accounts of the case.
In the end, the students in that class had to go through multiple changes of homeroom teacher within a single school year.
The case is not confined to one school. Data that the Ministry of Education submitted to the office of Rep. Jung Sung-kook of the People Power Party shows 575 cases of mid-semester homeroom teacher replacements at public elementary, middle and high schools nationwide over the three years from 2023 to 2025. That is 160 cases, or 38.6%, more than the 415 recorded in 2020 through 2022.
Cases in which a homeroom teacher was replaced at the request of parents also rose 32.1% over the same period, to 206 from 156.
Notably, many of the changes were requested by teachers themselves. Of the 575 replacements over the past three years, 369, or 64.2%, came at the teacher's request.
Worn Down by Complaints, Teachers Step Aside and Students Pay the Price
At an elementary school in southern Gyeonggi Province last year, a homeroom teacher who had been subjected to repeated protests from a parent ultimately stepped down.
The teacher in charge of the class received persistent complaints from one parent, including "Why do you single out my child?" and "Why do you play favorites with the other children?"
The teacher told the school that there had been no discrimination against any student, but the parent's objections continued. Suffering from severe stress, the teacher asked the school for a replacement after the first semester ended.
The problem is that such changes can also disrupt students' school life. Teachers need time to understand students' personalities, learning levels and relationships with classmates, and to build trust. When a homeroom teacher changes mid-semester, students must adjust to a new teacher, and the teacher must size up the class from scratch.
Critics say frequent homeroom teacher changes driven by parent complaints can damage a stable educational environment for students.
Supreme Court Calls It 'Improper Interference' as Calls Grow to Protect Teachers
The Supreme Court has also found that repeatedly demanding a change of homeroom teacher without legitimate cause can amount to improper interference with educational activities.
In a 2023 ruling on parental demands for a homeroom teacher change, the court said that even if there were problems with the teacher's instructional methods, it would be preferable to first try remedies such as changing those methods if doing so could resolve the issue.
The point is that even when there are problems with a teacher's approach, parents should first consider other solutions, such as improving instructional methods, rather than immediately demanding a replacement.
The court also stressed that replacing a homeroom teacher should be permitted only as a supplementary measure, in exceptional circumstances where the teacher cannot fully carry out their duties.
Educators are calling for stronger protections so that teachers do not have to face parent complaints alone. Unreasonable demands and repeated protests discourage teachers from carrying out their work, and the fallout can reach students.
Jung said education authorities must put safeguards in place so that teachers do not abandon homeroom duties because of malicious complaints.