South Korea - On October 13, 2008, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Ministry (SMOE) obliged sixth graders and ninth graders to take the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) test. Nationwide, these students took the same test on the same day. Before taking this test a few teachers from Seoul wrote letters to the students parents. The letter concerned the effect that the NAEP has on students and the educational system. It also explained that they have the opti...more

South Korea - On October 13, 2008, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Ministry (SMOE) obliged sixth graders and ninth graders to take the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) test. Nationwide, these students took the same test on the same day. Before taking this test a few teachers from Seoul wrote letters to the students parents. The letter concerned the effect that the NAEP has on students and the educational system. It also explained that they have the option to choose to take the test or alternative work-study. On the day of the test, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Ministry (SMOE) expelled seven teachers who were apart of the Korean Teachers and Education Works Union (KTU). The reason was that these teachers' permitted the students to take alternative work-study instead of the test. Disciplinary action ruled that these teachers did not obey the national policy as government officials. "The Disobeying Teachers" documents the resistance from teachers against the unfair disciplinary action, reinstatement struggle to get their jobs back, and a record of winning their case.less