Working parents fearful following Daejeon school tragedy

The recent murder of a first grade student by her teacher inside a Daejeon elementary school has left South Korea reeling, especially for working parents of young children.

Kim, a working mother of a 4-year-old is one of them. "As a working mom, I can't hand over my daughter personally from kindergarten to private academies, which gives me no choice but to ask academy teachers. Just a few years before my kid enters elementary school, such a tragedy happened. I had a nervous breakdown," Kim said.

"Whenever my daughter tells me about the strangers she comes across on the way to academies, my heart sinks," she said, adding that the ardent belief that school is a safe place to entrust children to has completely shattered.

The tragedy has amplified concerns about school dismissal safety. Unlike the common perception that the biggest risk for young students occurs on their commute home due to traffic accidents, the recent case has demonstrated that unexpected dangers exist even within school grounds.

"One time, I couldn't get hold of my daughter for 30 minutes after school as her phone was off and she was confused about where the shuttle bus was parked. It made me realize that just knowing the route home isn't enough. Constant supervision is necessary.”

Though school dismissal protocols could vary by school, in most cases, elementary school students must be escorted by an adult guardian, such as a parent, teacher, or academy instructor. However, some parents opt to allow their children to leave school on their own by signing a waiver.

In areas where private academies are not as prevalent, students often return home alone. In such cases, some parents resort to hiring "school pickup helpers" through local community platforms, with fees ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 won per trip. However, because younger students finish school early in the afternoon, finding a reliable helper can be challenging.

Despite the government operating a subsidized childcare escort service for children aged 3 to 12, eligibility is limited to families earning between 150 percent and 200 percent of the median income. With demand exceeding supply, the average wait time for the service last year was nearly a month. The shortage of workers is partly due to the low wages -- at just above minimum wage -- making recruitment difficult.

However, the government can not significantly raise wages as it could create disparities with other social service jobs such as senior caregivers and welfare workers, an education government official explained.

With limited resources for keeping track of children's whereabouts, some parents are turning to a tracking application, igniting a fierce debate among parents and teachers.

The victim’s father revealed that he used a monitoring app installed on his daughter's phone to help locate her after she went missing from the school's after-school program. The app, reportedly Find My Kids, allows parents to track their child's real-time location and listen to surrounding sounds remotely. While the app played a crucial role in uncovering key details about the child's final moments, its use has sparked concerns about privacy and surveillance in schools.

Following the incident, many parents are now considering installing similar tracking apps to ensure their children's safety.

“This tragedy made me realize how important it is to have some way to check on my children,” said Kim, a mother of a 10-year-old. “It’s not about invading privacy but ensuring they are safe, especially in emergencies.”

Another parent who wished to be anonymous echoed similar sentiments. “I understand teachers may feel uncomfortable with the idea of being monitored, but as a parent, if my child doesn’t answer the phone, I need a way to check on them. The app provides reassurance.”

However, teachers have strongly opposed the use of such apps in schools, arguing that it crosses ethical boundaries and turns classrooms into spaces of constant surveillance.

“Parents could be listening to everything happening in the classroom without us even knowing,” one teacher wrote in a private online forum for educators. Another commented, “I might have to start making students turn off their phones when they enter school. This is a serious invasion of privacy.”