School arts instructors are not disposable

Kim Ki-young, an arts instructor with a decade of experience teaching film to students in South Korea, faces an uncertain future as budget cuts cripple the school arts instructor program. Despite holding a four-year arts degree and a cultural arts educator certificate, Kim has been denied any teaching assignments for the current year, a stark contrast to previous years of fulfilling and rewarding work.

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Seeing the message 'Artistic activity certification has not been completed' felt strangely calm. My heart no longer sank with shock.

The program's budget has seen a drastic reduction of over 87% in recent years, severely impacting the number of available teaching hours. This has left many arts instructors, including Kim, without assignments or with significantly reduced hours. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, which previously offered consistent opportunities, has now rejected Kim's applications for both the first and second semesters, despite accumulated experience and a strong record.

Kim's situation highlights a broader crisis within the school arts instructor program. Once lauded as a provider of quality jobs for artists to pursue their creative work alongside teaching, the program's stated goals have shifted. The description now emphasizes "providing opportunities to combine with educational activities" rather than guaranteeing quality employment. This change, coupled with the ongoing struggle for improved working conditions and fair compensation, leaves many arts instructors feeling undervalued and precarious.

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I became a 'teacher of film' for the children. I did my best to guide the students, and even though the working conditions and social treatment were not good, I worked with pride.

Forced to seek alternative employment, Kim now works in physically demanding, low-paying jobs like a logistics center worker, a Costco food demonstrator, and a supermarket employee. These roles, often the only ones available for middle-aged women, stand in sharp contrast to the identity and passion Kim once found as a "film teacher." The instructor dreams of returning to the classroom, holding onto the belief that despite official rejections, the impact made on students and the experience gained as a school arts instructor cannot be erased.

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Now, I am not a 'film teacher' but a 'madam,' and an 'on-call part-time worker.' Where did I, who worked as a school arts instructor for 10 years, disappear to?