Teacher`s Day

``Teacher!, if I could meet with you again, I want to present the eggs in a straw wrapper this time.`` This is a part of personal letter that Lee Dong-Ryol, writer of fairy tales, wrote to his teacher, who taught Lee 30 years ago when he was in 3rd grader of elementary school.

Reflecting back to the time of his youth, Lee vividly describes his memory that his teacher had sent him home with eggs, saying, to then a little boy Lee, boil these eggs and serve them to Lee’s grandmother.

People who went to school long ago might share such memories of this kind, the memories of meeting their teacher with small gifts and feeling awkward when the teachers sent them back home with those gifts. What are teachers like today? How are the teachers now? It is always regretful for students to stay away with an excuse of busy-ness. However, many gratitude to our teachers for teaching us to live uprightly cannot be forgotten.

The Teacher’s day is the day to commemorate the teaching of those thankful teachers. Some graduates visit their retired teachers. Other alumni invite their teacher to a gorgeous restaurant to have a celebration party. Some schools also celebrate the day with music concerts or athletic meetings and decorates the teachers with flowers. Some students also visit to console their retired teacher who suffer from financial hardship or is ill in bed. Events of writing letters to teachers are also held to commemorate their true education.

However, the Teacher’s day of this year is not perfectly pleasing. Many elementary schools will close on the day. 216 schools, which is 40.3 percent of all 536 schools, will close to avoid the problem of `small present of appreciation.` It seems strange to close schools to prevent students from meeting their teachers on the day when student are supposed to express their heartfelt gratitude and amplify their affection towards teachers.

It is regretful that Korean society has changed to perceive teachers with bias. It is concerning that the most teacher, who have taught students without complaining about the unfavorable conditions, may feel hurt on the day which is designated as `Teacher’s day’.