[Opinion] I Am Ashamed, Children

Our school that is surrounded by mountains is full of green color.

Some children are playing in fresh green.

30 years ago, voice of children echoed in mountains every morning, however, now even if total 40 students of school play ball in the playground, there is still much space.

Playground looks too large and the school, too.

That is why big and large playgrounds, looks poor and miserable.

Where have children gone?

I am not the only one who received education for teacher officially

I applied for test of teacher training centre 33 years ago, and I became teacher. It was really by chance.

The training lasted four months

I remember when the matter of supply and demand of teachers became issue in the whole nation.

The problem that existed 33 years ago re-appeared today.

It was reality of our education, and it is still, too.

By the way, I was sent to one school after finishing 4 months of training.

Frankly, I disliked being a teacher.

My youth didn`t want to accept myself as a stuffy teacher in a secluded place.

As I didn`t have any good idea to escape being a stuffy teacher, I started life in school.

One day, I was teaching 5th grade. I entered classroom as usual.

Children stood up altogether and greeted me with big voice.

I was so surprised because children are like individuals `one person`, one by one.

Faces of children were shining. It shined like surface of river when it receives moonlight.

It was so. It was not the one among all the children in my classroom but they are one person, one person.

I was awakened. It is shameful and shy story, however I saw children as individuals since 8 years of my teaching life.

I started thinking about education from that moment.

The more I think reality of our education is in disorder, conducting education in such system and condition itself was also a big contradiction.

Nevertheless, I began to enjoy time with children,

I was happy to come to school.

Children whom I met in the beginning of academic year for the first time came to me and went away, and again came to me.

I liked tug of war love like that.

Children, who were turning around towards me from far side in the beginning, held my hand after passing months and held my shoulders.

Their warm temperature made me happy.

I still look at scene when children play without getting tired.

I realized that human being is more beautiful than flowers.

Children became teacher of my life.

I liked world of children, where there is no lie.

Daily life in school became my reality of happiest moments.

While going back home and `coming to school`, I was happy thinking of children and suffered from my faults.

I always made an effort to show my real heart to children.

Many years have passed. My hair also is becoming white.

When I determined to live my whole life as teacher, I thought like this.

`Yes I am standing near these children with black hair. I will not leave these children until my hair becomes white. It would be beautiful to live my life so`. It was so. I am still near children.

I am working in elementary school from where I graduated, for 22 years.

There are seven children in my classroom.

Children, whom I taught long time ago, bore children.

Their sons and daughters are looking at me with black eyes sitting in my classroom.

I haven`t thought about `teacher`s day` even one time.

I don`t know whether it is good for nation and people to think about teacher at least one day.

Remembering days which I have lived, shameful things are much more than things that did well to children.

I would like to seek forgiveness for my faults to children.

Have our adults been concerned about the world where our children have to live in from bottom of heart?

I am ashamed, Children.

Kim Yong-taek (Poet, Teacher in Dukchi elementary school, Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk)