Controversial drama on fictional tale of school justice offers catharsis for some, sparks concern for others
“Teach You a Lesson” is emerging as one of June’s breakout hits, topping Netflix’s global rankings just three days after its premiere. Yet while the drama’s no-holds-barred approach to tackling dysfunction in Korea’s education system has struck a chord with audiences, it has prompted a divided response from educators.
Based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name, the 10-part series follows the exploits of the fictional Educational Rights Protection Bureau, a government-backed agency that intervenes in troubled schools. The bureau investigates bullying, exposes false accusations against teachers and students and addresses abusive parents and systemic failures within the education system.
According to Netflix’s companion site Tudum, the show ranked No. 1 on the global top 10 non-English TV shows chart for the week of June 1-7.
Released Friday, the series amassed 6.4 million views in its first three days. A show’s viewership is calculated by dividing the total hours watched by its runtime.
Having drawn praise for its brisk pacing and crowd-pleasing catharsis, the drama’s popularity has been equally evident at home, where it ranked as Korea’s most-watched series as of Wednesday.
Its reception among Korean teachers, however, has been far more complicated.
“Although the series raises valid questions about how dire conditions have become in some public schools, it also raises concerns that viewers could come away believing that violence against students is in some ways a necessary part of education,” said a middle school teacher in Seoul in her 20s surnamed Choi.
Another teacher in his 30s who works at Gwangnam Middle School in Seoul said the series accurately captures many realities of modern classrooms but ultimately veers too far into fantasy.
“It reflected the reality of schools, but the ending was far too unrealistic,” he said. “I wish real schools had the same kinds of mechanisms to protect teachers that are shown in ‘Teach You a Lesson.'”
The debate has also spilled online, including Blind, the anonymous workplace platform that requires users to verify their employment before posting.
One teacher wrote, “After watching the drama, my family told me, ‘Teachers must find this really satisfying to watch.’ I told them absolutely not. If anything, I find it horrifying.”
Korea’s largest teachers’ organization argued that the series has resonated because it reflects the frustrations and sense of helplessness many educators face today.
In a statement released Monday, the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations said that the drama sheds light on the difficult realities of modern classrooms.
“The series lays bare the harsh realities of today’s classrooms, including the breakdown of classroom order, serious violations of teachers’ rights by some uncontrollable students and the sense of despair felt by educators left powerless after being inundated with malicious complaints,” it said.
The statement further stressed that “What this drama misses at its core is that what teachers need is not a fist, but legal protections.”
According to the KFTA, 438 cases involving violations of teachers’ rights were recorded last year alone.
“In May (last year), there was a case in which a teacher was reported for child abuse simply for opening classroom windows to improve ventilation, another of a teacher disciplining a student who slapped a classmate, and one of a teacher intervening when a student was dancing during class,” KFTA President Kang Ju-ho said in the statement, renewing calls for swift revisions to the Child Welfare Act and the Child Abuse Punishment Act.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
