The Ministry of Education has announced three new “benevolent measures,” ostensibly to help teachers out. Instead, they have attracted criticism from the teachers they are supposed to be aiding.
The ministry claims free access to sports equipment benefits residents; however, this policy would wear down campuses and teachers.
Moreover, the ministry’s instruction that no core subjects be set for the last lesson of the day puts severe constraints on the flexibility of class scheduling.
The newly proposed mental health leave appears to reward teachers for their labor. Unfortunately, the devil is in the details.
Only three days of mental health leave are allowed per semester. In addition, if there are more than seven days between mental health and personal leaves, teachers would see their pay deducted. Instructions that schools must approve requests for mental health leave are the educational equivalent of “let them eat cake.”
Working conditions in elementary and junior high schools have worsened in recent years. Teachers are increasingly pressured: They have to teach and counsel students, take on loads of administrative work; not to mention that a significant share of them are fearful of getting tied up in unwarranted lawsuits. These predicaments have created lots of vacancies in our schools.
With schools plagued by complicated issues and teachers feeling hopeless, the ministry has failed to propose effective measures to improve our education system.
Instead, it has caused trouble after trouble: free milk for all classes, free access to sports equipment, restrictions on course arrangement and the latest white elephant, mental health leave for teachers.
At a time when educators are crying out for help, the Minister of Education sits idly by, thinking that a couple of treats would solve the deep-rooted problems teachers are facing. He does not see that teachers are already drained because of the administrative tasks, schedule pressure and parental complaints they have to deal with.
True mental relief comes not with an endowment that teachers have to navigate carefully to avoid pay deductions. Instead, it comes with less pointless bureaucracy, fewer students per class, abundant support and other major reforms. If the ministry cannot provide mental health leave without conditions, it should reverse bad policies instead.
Right now, schools are troubled by all kinds of problems. Sadly, bureaucrats are only paying lip service to a better workplace environment for educators, and their policies are detached from reality, like Nero playing the fiddle when Rome was burning. Rank and file teachers must be asking: How out of touch is the Ministry of Education?
Kuan Ching-li is a teacher at an elementary school.
Translated by Cayce Pan
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