To Prevent Recurrence of Baebong High School Incident: 'Education Drawing a Line on Hate Speech in Schools is Necessary'

The recent incident where Baebong High School baseball team members used a derogatory cheer mocking the May 18th Democratic Uprising has sparked concern about the infiltration of hateful language into school environments. While the situation with Gwangju Jeil High School's apology offers a potential path to reconciliation, educators and experts argue that this is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a broader problem.

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Not just children, but teachers also don't know exactly what hate speech is.

Teachers are encountering increasingly sophisticated and pervasive forms of hate speech among students, often disguised as new slang or trends. Gu Ja-sook, a 6th-grade teacher at Dongsu Elementary School in Incheon, conducted a "hate speech prevention education" session where students identified and analyzed contemporary slang. She noted that many students, and even teachers, lack a clear understanding of what constitutes hate speech, leading to its normalization. Gu advocates for mandatory hate speech education, similar to anti-bullying programs.

Experts and teachers emphasize that simply promoting democratic citizenship education, as suggested by the Ministry of Education, is insufficient. They argue for clear definitions and boundaries regarding hate speech, discrimination, and historical distortion. Kim Hye-ja, vice president of the National Social Studies Teachers' Association, stated that teachers need clear criteria to address problematic statements, explaining that such expressions undermine dignity based on identity.

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It is more important to clearly teach the scope of hate speech, discrimination, and historical distortion that society cannot accept.

A survey by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) found that 40.8% of middle and high school students believe "education explaining why certain expressions are problematic" is the most crucial measure to prevent future incidents. This response surpassed calls for stricter punishments or content moderation online.

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Teachers must be able to provide criteria for why this statement is problematic in the classroom.

However, teachers themselves often feel ill-equipped to handle these situations. A survey of over 1,100 teachers revealed that 73.2% felt they lacked adequate knowledge or training to address hate speech and historical distortion effectively. This uncertainty, coupled with concerns about accusations of political bias, contributes to a hesitant approach. Calls are growing for a multi-layered response involving schools, educational authorities, and even regulations on online platforms that propagate hate speech.

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After hate speech education, students started to watch their friends' reactions, not just the teacher's.