Teachers want their day back

Representatives of an association for teachers of private schools yesterday proposed that teachers should be allowed to have a day off on Teachers' Day -- despite a central government decision last year that stopped the traditional practice.

As Teachers' Day draws near, educators from private schools are raising their voices in protest against having the holiday taken away from them.

It was decided that teachers would not have the day off because of an initiative to give teachers long weekends every other week.

Huang Cheng (黃城), founder of Chungtao High School (中道中學) in Ilan County and a representative of Taiwan's Private Education Association (中華民國私立教育事業協會), suggested at yesterday's regular meeting for the organization that all private schools should take a day off on Sept. 28, Teachers' Day.

"With the aim of carrying on Chinese traditions and showing respect for teachers, teachers should take a day off on Teachers' Day and celebrations should be held at each school to pay tribute to educators," Huang said.

Director of the association, Chen Hsi-an (陳璽安), said teachers no longer enjoyed the same reverence as they used to and the situation had worsened since last year, because the holiday was abolished and most celebrations were muted.

Chen said private schools should be given the right to determine if there should be called a Teachers' Day holiday.

In response, Minister of Education Ovid Tzeng (曾志朗) said he was not opposed to the idea and said that in accordance with the law private schools were entitled to set their own rules, within limits.

"However, private schools also have legal responsibilities and they must tread carefully," Tzeng added.

"I don't mind working on Teachers' Day," Lo Yu-ping (羅玉冰), an instructor at the Oriental Institute of Technology said. "Whether to have a day off is not an issue, the point is that teachers deserve to be revered and students should be reminded of the efforts made by teachers, especially on this day."

Chia Yuan-kai (賈源愷), at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) said that teachers played an essential role in students' development, and they should be remembered and appreciated.

"The meaning of Teachers' Day is very special, it is a time when teachers should be honored. Though the holiday has been called off, it should not affect the status of teachers."

Amy Lin (林清華), another teacher at NTUST, said the government needed to outline the basis on which it made a decision on holidays.

"Government policy should be consistent. Workers take a day off on Labor Day, why shouldn't teachers have a break on Teachers' Day?" Lin said.