National Federation of Teachers Unions 結果共4筆

Premier Chen Chien-Jen addresses inquiries on the possibility of a unified Labor Day holiday on May 1 in Taiwan, pending a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior. Legislation amendments may be considered if a decision is reached before May 20, as discussed in response to concerns raised by KMT legislator Wang Hung-wei and the National Federation of Teachers Unions.

The National Federation of Education Unions (NEU) has called on Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) to take full responsibility for incidents like the recent student stabbing in New Taipei City. The NEU insists on changes to improve the current situation and prevent students from bringing prohibited items to school. The NEU believes that amendments made by the MOE have unfairly disempowered teachers, as many schools struggle to address students who bring banned items due to fear of backlash or being accused of bullying. NEU President Lin Shuo-chieh pointed out that teachers are hesitant to correct and punish behavior out of fear of being accused of ＂targeting＂ students or being reported for bullying. In 2022, the MOE amended regulations on the management of dangerous items carried by students. According to Article 28, unless explicitly stated by law or sufficient evidence suggests the student is involved in criminal activity or carries banned items, their bodies and belongings are not to be searched. Article 29 states that for high school inspections, two or more representatives of parents, student council members, or teachers must be present to examine students’ belongings or spaces. Lin claimed that the MOE’s rules are difficult for grassroots teachers to implement and can easily be twisted into accusations of bullying. He urged the MOE and local education departments to redefine regulations for handling protected students in order to prevent further deterioration of campus safety and safeguard the rights of other students.

Taipei’s Education Minister, Pan Wen-chung, responded to concerns raised by the National Federation of Teachers Unions (NFTU) about the 2030 Bilingual Nation policy. Pan emphasized the importance of English proficiency as a crucial competitive skill for students. He emphasized the need for a balanced approach in teaching methods and strategies to ensure that students’ foundational academic abilities are not neglected. The NFTU expressed apprehension that excessive emphasis on English in the bilingual policy could undermine national competitiveness and called for a thorough reassessment of language policies post-election. Pan highlighted the importance of English and digital literacy as vital competencies for students and stressed the necessity of the bilingual policy for English language education. He mentioned that the implementation of the policy allows schools to join gradually and includes plans for teacher training enhancements and the inclusion of foreign instructors. Pan also mentioned that Mandarin courses would be available alongside university courses conducted entirely in English to give students the freedom of choice. He noted that some locales have been overly emphasizing English expertise during teacher recruitment and that the Ministry of Education will issue reminders for a more balanced evaluation. Rolling revisions will be made based on the progress of the bilingual initiative.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) clarified that school teacher bonuses are not part of salary raises, in response to the National Federation of Teachers Unions (NFTU) advocating for improved benefits for elementary and secondary school teachers. The MOE stated that homeroom teacher bonuses reached NT$3,000 before 2017, while the hourly wage for substitute teachers has increased. However, the bonuses for special education teachers still require approval from the Executive Yuan. The NFTU held a press conference to propose better conditions for kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers, highlighting the government’s focus on universities and neglecting the needs of these teachers. With 250,000 out of the total 300,000 teachers in Taiwan working in elementary and secondary schools, the NFTU emphasized the significant remuneration gap, unadjusted overall salaries, and the lack of increase in special education teacher bonuses that need consideration. The NFTU chairman, Hou Chun-liang, emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue, as homeroom teacher and special education teacher bonuses have remained unchanged for 10 and 31 years, respectively. The NFTU’s publicity director, Luo Te-shui, urged that anything beneficial to education should not be delayed until the elections.