Legislators across party lines yesterday voiced their opposition to allowing university presidents to postpone their retirement age from 65 to 70.
The legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee were reviewing amendments to Article 4 of the School Teachers and Staffers Retirement Act (學校教職員退休條例), but most committee members were against revising the law. The law currently states that university presidents must step down and return to teaching in order to be eligible to retire at 70.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chao Li-yun (趙麗雲) said she was in favor of the revision, but the rationale presented by the Ministry of Education was unconvincing.
The ministry argued that once the amendment was approved, university presidents could have a choice between claiming their pension in a lump sum or on a monthly basis. It would also encourage them to keep teaching, the ministry said.
With six university presidents immediately affected by the regulation, KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said she was against the amendment because legal revisions must not be made to cater to the needs of individuals.
She added that younger people should be given a fair chance when vying for top jobs.
KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) expressed concern that high school presidents might demand the same treatment.
KMT Legislator Tsao Erh-chang (曹爾忠) said he was against the amendment because it had been proposed by the former Democratic Progressive Party administration and added that he would make an all-out effort to boycott the amendment if it proceeded to the legislative floor.
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