Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators and teachers' rights groups said yesterday that teachers are often the victims of violence at school and it is an issue that is overlooked by the Ministry of Education.
When corporal punishment is administered in schools, civic groups immediately stand up for student rights, but when teachers are beaten up by a student, pressure comes in from all sides -- principals, parents and education officials, said DPP Legislator Wu Fu-Guei (
Victims
"Teachers who are victims of violence are too scared to come out and say what has happened to them, and the ministry does not even offer protection for these teachers," Wu said.
Last month a teacher was beaten up at Chia-hsien Junior High School in Kaohsiung County by a student who was unhappy after being scolded. The teacher is still currently receiving medical attention and is unwilling to talk about the incident, the school said.
Yang I-feng (
Mafia help
"Some students have sought the help of the mafia to deal with their teachers," Yang said. "Schools have told their teachers to run background checks on their students to see if they have mafia connections, but that's asking too much of the teachers." Yang added that while students are offered counseling sessions when they have been beaten up or hurt, teachers are not, and as a result many suffer from psychological damage.
In reply, Liu Shein-de (
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