The National Teachers’ Association has suggested that the Ministry of Education include “decent work” in school curricula.
The UN characterizes “decent work” as offering “opportunities for everyone to get work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration.”
However, rather than placing the focus on decent work, the ministry should promote the concept of “work sanctity,” as well as the idea that “all jobs are equal.”
When I was the principal of a junior-high school prior to my current position, I took students on trips to Japan on three occasions.
Observing the professional dedication that Japanese exhibit in their jobs, irrespective of their position, made a big impression on my students.
During one of the Japan trips, our bus driver was neatly dressed and wore a tie every day of our five-day trip.
Some students asked me in private why the bus driver always dressed formally at work, and I took the opportunity to turn the occasion into an educational exercise. I asked our Japanese tour guide, Miss Tanaka, to tell the students about it, and she was happy to do so.
She said Japan is influenced by a traditional lifelong servant system, and the spirit of bushido, a feudal Japanese military code of behavior valuing honor.
Japanese from all walks of life are dedicated to their work and make it their lifetime career.
They take pride in how they behave, in what they say and what they do, as well as in their appearance, because they are aware that this would affect the image of the company or institution they work for.
She added that all professions adhere to this principle, from workers and drivers all the way up: Everyone is aware of the importance of their jobs, so they make sure that they are dressed appropriately and as formally as white-collar professionals.
In comparison, Taiwan is influenced by the Confucianism of Chinese culture, which pays respect to officialdom, while the working class is valued less.
As a result, Taiwanese employers breach the rights of employees, and workers act casually and carelessly in the workplace.
Sometimes, we can see sloppy laborers working on the roadside, with some even chewing betel nut or smoking on the job.
This not only damages the image of their work, it is also an explicit expression of their lack of respect for the work that they do.
Career development education should be a major part of school curricula, and related courses should be offered.
Through lectures by teachers and company visits, perhaps Taiwan can teach students to try to experience the importance of all walks of life and to guide them to develop the concept of “work sanctity” through conversations on the subject.
Of course, if students have the chance to experience cultural differences during educational visits to foreign countries, they can learn from those cultures and gain a deep understanding of the significance of “decent work,” too.
Chen Chi-nung is principal of Shuili Junior High School in Nantou County.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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