The Ministry of Education plans to amend the Supplementary Education Act (補習及進修教育法) to mandate that cram-school teachers use their real names when applying for teaching jobs at private institutes, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said yesterday.
Pan made the announcement at a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee, where discussion focused on how to prevent sexual harassment and sexual assault at cram schools.
The public gives importance to screening staff hired by cram schools and the ministry is considering setting forth punishments for institutes that fail to report cases of sexual harassment or sexual assault to education authorities, Pan said.
The ministry plans to raise the level of the act, thus granting it jurisdiction to require cram schools to show teachers’ real names when recruiting students, so that parents can learn about their backgrounds — including education levels — before deciding whether to enroll their children.
Cram-school teachers adopting “stage names” is believed to have stemmed from the practice of teachers using false degrees to attract students and public servants working as cram-school teachers, which is against the law.
Writer Li Yi-han (林奕含) last month committed suicide due to trauma after allegedly being sexually assaulted by cram-school teacher Chen Kuo-hsing (陳國星) nine years ago.
Following Lin’s suicide, it was discovered that Chen had lied about his education throughout his career.
Chen, who teaches Chinese literature at the high-school level, said in advertisements that he graduated from National Taiwan University Department of Chinese Literature and National Sun Yat-sen University Graduate Institute of Literature, but he only attended night school at the former and had never been to the latter, as there is no such institute.
National Sun Yat-sen University employees said that Chen attended a graduate program offered by its department of Chinese literature, but dropped out.
The ministry would also create a database of unfit cram-school teachers in the same fashion as its National Query System for Unfit Teachers for certified teachers by requesting data from government agencies, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare and National Police Agency, Pan said.
The education ministry would conduct a search of the system within two weeks to ascertain whether there are any teachers expelled from the national education system working at cram schools, he said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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