Print

Mail

wiki links

Attacks on teachers not being taken `seriously'

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 (吳富貴).

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 (楊益風), director of the Taipei Teachers Association, said that while some violent incidents in schools happen by accident -- such as students playing with dangerous objects and unintentionally hurting teachers that are passing by, some are carefully planned and thought out by students seeking revenge.

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 (劉賢德), a specialist at the ministry, said that the ministry encourages schools to deal with these problems using their own regulations. But Liu added that he hoped the ministry would reconsider its policies to better ensure teacher protection.
This story has been viewed 2130 times.