Following a massive protest by teachers on Saturday to back demand for the right to form labor unions, parents associations yesterday petitioned the Executive Yuan to voice their opposition to giving teachers the right to strike.
In response, Premier Yu Shyi-kun requested the Ministry of Education gather information about the rights enjoyed by teachers' unions around the globe and to hammer out an acceptable plan within a month.
"We hope the final proposal will integrate the opinions of all parties concerned," Cabinet Spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (
Chuang talked to reporters after Yu met with members of the Alliance for the Nation's Parents Associations at the Executive Yuan yesterday morning.
The alliance consists of 22 parents associations from around the country.
Chen Sung-ken (陳松根), chairman of the Ilan Parents Association, said that although the alliance recognized the teachers' desire to voice their discontent, a democratic society should tolerate different voices, including those of students' parents.
"We'd really hate to see the voices of the parents and students be ignored," Chen said.
In addition to opposing teachers' right to go on strike, the group also requested that the Cabinet enact a new law to grant parents the right to negotiate and participate during the formulation of government education policy.
In response, Yu instructed the education ministry to map out a draft law within one month.
Hsiao Hui-ying (蕭慧英), chairwoman of the Taipei Parents Association, said that parents would like to be able to chose what schools their children go to, what kind of teaching methods are used and what kind of educational content is taught to their children.
"In addition, parents should have the right to request that teachers correct their teaching methods and contents if they're wrong," Hsiao said.
"Teachers must not refuse parents' requests unless there are appropriate reasons for doing so," she said.
The group also requested the government establish a teachers' evaluation system and a mechanism to allow for the dismissal of unqualified teachers.
Yu also requested that the education ministry present a proposal on those ideas within three months.
As requested by parents, Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村) also pledged not to formulate any educational policies at the expense of students' well-being
"That has always been our policy and we'll continue to do so," Huang said.
Finally, parents requested the premier clear up a statement he had made that "the client of the education ministry is teachers" when receiving teachers at the Executive Yuan on Sept. 15.
"If the ministry serves only teachers, we'd like to know where that puts us parents and our children," Hsiao said.
In response, Chuang said that it is the ultimate goal of the government to transform its service to be customer-oriented.
"Students should be the main body of education as both they and the teachers are the ministry's customers," Chuang quoted Yu as saying.
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