The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday said it would enforce the closure of Yung Ta Institute of Technology and Commerce if it fails to inform the ministry of its shutdown by Jan. 8.
Former school employees yesterday protested outside the Executive Yuan and the ministry, accusing the ministry of failing in its duties and calling for the school to compensate them for salary owed, severance payments and civil servant insurance payouts.
The ministry received court approval to disband the school’s board of directors on Aug 29, after applying in March, on grounds that the school, in Pingtung County’s Linluo Township (麟洛), had breached Article 25 of the Private School Act (私立學校法) and had stopped paying its former faculty members’ monthly pensions.
Photo: Lee Hsin-fang, Taipei Times
However, the school’s board appealed the decision, leaving the case — along with obligations to pay former staff and faculty — hanging in the air.
Department of Technological and Vocational Education official Eric Ker (柯今尉) yesterday said that he had accepted a petition from the protesters.
The ministry said it would uphold the rights of former faculty and staff in the event of forced closure.
The school faced financial difficulties in 2013 and in the next year it applied to the ministry, and failed to obtain, approval to downsize.
In August 2014, the institute said it could not sustain employees and faculty without income from student enrollments, as the ministry had imposed a no-enrollment order on the university and declared that it was shutting down.
However, it said that it was considering transitioning into a junior college.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,