The Taipei Teachers Association (TTA) yesterday urged the government to legislate teachers’ authority to discipline students to effectively curb bullying on campus.
TTA chairman Chang Wen-chang (張文昌) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Nai-shin (蔣乃辛) told a press conference that the Ministry of Education should complete the legislation of a draft student counseling act (學生輔導法) to clearly specify the obligations of schools, teachers and parents when offering counseling and disciplining students.
The educational establishment has debated the need to write the proposed law for years.
The ministry resolved in 2006 to push through the legislation, but the bill has been stuck in the legislature when controversy arose after some school counselors alleged that the bill was introduced to benefit those who possess licenses to perform social work or psychology.
Chang cited a survey the association conducted on 1,082 elementary, junior high, high school and vocational high school teachers in Taipei between Tuesday and Friday last week, which showed that 96 percent of those polled agreed that students’ behavioral problems had worsened since the ministry introduced its “zero corporal punishment” policy.
A total of 91 percent of teachers said they usually got into trouble whenever they tried to discipline students, Chang said.
Up to 92 percent of the respondents said they believe the law should specify teachers’ powers to discipline students and parents’ responsibilities in a bid to end bullying at schools, Chang said.
About 72 percent of those polled said schools did not have adequate manpower to deal with bullies, while 52 percent supported abolishing the “zero corporal punishment” policy, Chang said.
Yang Yi-feng (楊益風), vice chairman of the association, said teachers have difficulties when dealing with cases of bullying, particularly when the bullies come from powerful families.
In response, Fu Mu-lung (傅木龍), a specialist of the ministry’s Student Affairs Committee, rejected the association’s call, saying that the policy is written into the Education Fundamental Act (教育基本法).
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