Rethinking good teachers in Korea

Recently, there's been growing concern about applicants with relatively low grades being admitted to elementary teacher colleges in Korea.

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Many people assume that teachers' academic performance and content knowledge directly influence their effectiveness, fueling fears of declining teaching quality. The common explanation for why lower-scoring students are accepted is straightforward: high-achieving students are increasingly uninterested in teaching careers. Why? Because teachers' authority is waning, workloads are overwhelming, and salaries remain stagnant. However, even a well-meaning public campaign to promote respect for teachers or a program offering incentives for some select teachers won't do much. Each of these concerns ties back to broader societal attitudes and systemic problems in Korea.