Korean drama Teach You a Lesson serves up a reality check on education

Within a week of its release, Netflix’s new Korean drama Teach You a Lesson, directed by Hong Jong-chan, topped the platform’s global non-English rankings for the week of June 1 to 7.Adapted from the popular webtoon Get Schooled (2020), the 10-episode series about a government-backed vigilante unit trying to fix the wrongs in schools has quickly become a highly rated breakout hit.Described in a Forbes article as “one of the most addictive feel-good dramas of the year”, the series has exploded across Asia and beyond.Beneath its action, drama and satisfying takedowns lies a question troubling parents, educators and policymakers everywhere: what is education for, when the classroom itself is in crisis?Lee Sung-min in a still from “Teach You a Lesson”, which topped Netflix’s global non-English rankings for the week of June 1 to 7. Photo: HandoutLessons worth learningTeach You a Lesson depicts a version of Korean society in which rising school violence and declining teacher authority have pushed the educational system to breaking point.