The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a ban on corporal punishment in kindergartens to curb child abuse, with those found guilty of such offenses facing a maximum fine of NT$300,000.
A set of draft amendments to the Early Childhood Education and Care Act (幼兒教育及照顧法) have been approved as part of Premier William Lai’s (賴清德) plans to build public childcare facilities and improve child protections.
According to the amendments, kindergartens and schools would be required to report any suspected child abuse, sexual abuse or bullying to authorities, Deputy Minister of Education Lin Teng-chiao (林騰蛟) said.
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
Corporal punishment would be banned and those in breach of the act would be subject to a fine of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000.
Corporal punishment is banned under the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法). The amendments to the Early Childhood Education and Care Act are to extend the ban to protect children younger than six years old, the Cabinet said.
Under the amendments, kindergartens and their employees who are found to have imposed corporal punishment or have sexually abused children would be publicly named in addition to being fined.
The transgressors should also be dismissed and suspended from practice for between one and four years, while the kindergartens they work for would be ordered to cut enrollments or halt their operations.
To make childcare services more affordable and accessible, the amendments also allow businesses to establish nonprofit kindergartens to care for the children of their employees, and kindergartens would also be allowed to provide after-school care for elementary-school-aged children.
While it might be difficult for individual businesses to operate a kindergarten alone, the amendments encourage businesses to jointly run kindergartens and relaxes laws for businesses to convert properties into childcare centers.
The amendments are part of Lai’s childcare initiative announced last year to improve the nation’s low birthrate by building an affordable and better childcare environment.
BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The planned transit by the ‘Baden-Wuerttemberg’ and the ‘Frankfurt am Main’ would be the German Navy’s first passage since 2002 Two German warships are set to pass through the Taiwan Strait in the middle of this month, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. Reuters last month reported that the warships, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, were awaiting orders from Berlin to sail the Strait, prompting a rebuke to Germany from Beijing. Der Spiegel cited unspecified sources as saying Beijing would not be formally notified of the German ships’ passage to emphasize that Berlin views the trip as normal. The German Federal Ministry of Defense declined to comment. While
‘REGRETTABLE’: TPP lawmaker Vivian Huang said that ‘we will continue to support Chairman Ko and defend his innocence’ as he was transferred to a detention facility The Taipei District Court yesterday ruled that Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) be detained and held incommunicado over alleged corruption dating to his time as mayor of Taipei. The ruling reversed a decision by the court on Monday morning that Ko be released without bail. After prosecutors on Wednesday appealed the Monday decision, the High Court said that Ko had potentially been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Ko did not speak to reporters upon his arrival at the district court at about 9:10am yesterday to attend a procedural
The High Court yesterday overturned a Taipei District Court decision to release Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and sent the case back to the lower court. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday questioned Ko amid a probe into alleged corruption involving the Core Pacific City development project during his time as Taipei mayor. Core Pacific City, also known as Living Mall (京華城購物中心), was a shopping mall in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) that has since been demolished. On Monday, the Taipei District Court granted a second motion by Ko’s attorney to release him without bail, a decision the prosecutors’ office appealed
The Executive Yuan yesterday warned against traveling to or doing business in China after reports that Beijing is recruiting Taiwanese to help conceal the use of forced Uighur labor. The government is aware that Taiwan-based influencers and businesses are being asked to make pro-Beijing content and offered incentives to invest in the region, Executive Yuan acting spokeswoman Julia Hsieh (謝子涵) told a news conference. Taiwanese are urged to be aware of the potential personal and reputational harm by visiting or operating businesses in China, Hsieh said, adding that agencies are fully apprised of the situation. A national security official said that former Mainland
RSS