The number of elementary, middle and high school teachers who have taken their own lives over the past decade amounts to 144, a ruling party lawmaker said, citing data from the Ministry of Education.

The suicides occurred between 2014 and August this year, Rep. Lee Tae-kyu of the People Power Party said, noting the annual number spiked from six in 2014 to 20 in 2018 and 25 in 2021.

The number dropped to 20 last year but as many as 14 teachers died by suicide in the first eight months of this year, Lee said.

Elementary school teacher suicides amounted to 78 - or 54.2 percent of the total - while middle and high school teacher suicides amounted to 27 and 39, respectively.

Teachers across the nation have recently demanded better treatment and guarantees of their rights in classrooms in the wake of a series of suicides by teachers due to excessive work and incidents of abuse from students and parents. (Yonhap)