A few days ago, the Ministry of the Interior notified the Executive Yuan’s Directorate-General of Personnel Administration that only 214 applicants would be accepted for the Grade 4 Civil Service Special Examination for Police Officers this year. The news caused a backlash among young people who intend to pursue a career in law enforcement, while legislators began intensive questioning of the Examination Yuan and the ministry, putting the question of the fairness and impartiality of the exams into the spotlight.
Ever since a double-track system for the exams was implemented — an “internal” track open only to National Police University students and an “external” track open to general applicants — the admission rate on the university track has always surpassed 100 percent, meaning that admissions exceeded the number who sat the exam. Even officers fired by law enforcement authorities who resat the exam had an admission rate of more than 100 percent, totaling 350 to date. This ridiculous scenario has prompted the Control Yuan to conduct two special investigations and issue corrections.
The cause for criticism is the drastic reduction in the number of admissions, from about 2,300 per year to only 214 this year, raising questions about the impartiality of the process.
Exam authorities blame the drop on pension reform, which is prompting police officers to put off retirement. Little did the authorities know that young people care more about the impartiality of the national exam.
It was after the exam authorities contravened the Civil Service Examinations Act (公務人員考試法) by introducing a two-track system that the problem with unfair admission rates arose. People would not be complaining if everyone who sat the exam for a rank was given the same test, the same question sheet and accepted at the same rate.
There has been a huge reduction in admission numbers and Examination Yuan members do not review the system’s impartiality, but instead blame the ministry. By shirking responsibility, the Examination Yuan is turning its back on the nation’s college students, effectively holding back President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration.
Under questioning by legislators after taking office last year, Minister of Examination Tsai Tzung-jen (蔡宗珍) challenged the fairness of the double-track system, showing the same insistence on justice that she demonstrated during protests against the cross-strait trade in services agreement, which won her support from the Sunflower movement.
However, she has begun flip-flopping and passing the buck by helping the ministry to suppress the exam takers, pretending to be the voice of conscience. This is why there has been a backlash from students.
With help from the Internet, hundreds of thousands of students are now expressing discontent over the Tsai administration’s reckless, laissez-faire attitude toward the exam authorities. As this has been going on for a long time, it is unavoidable that the government should lose public support.
If there are no vacancies, both tracks should simply be suspended or they could be merged to reduce the number of recruits. Continuing the double-track system is unreasonable, especially when applications from the external track are cut to 214 with a mere 2 percent admission rate, while the internal track stays above 100 percent.
No matter what benefits authorities tout, there is no denying that the double-track exam system continues to protect vested interests. Exams for officers in the US, Japan and other countries are conducted in a single-track selection and training system, just as the process is for civil servants in other areas in Taiwan. The police exam is the sole exception.
If the Tsai administration really wants to pursue transitional justice, it should start with the injustice of the national police exam. If it does not, the government might well be overturned by young people.
Lee Hsueh-yung is a lawyer.
Translated by Chang Ho-ming
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