New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) yesterday said that elementary schools should refrain from handing out grades to students on the day before holidays, saying that it would prevent children who have poor grades from facing excessive physical punishment.
Hou made the remarks at a meeting with public-school principals in Sanchong District (三重).
Hou said he made the proposal because love is one of the most important elements in the shaping of a person’s character and because it would help to promote familial harmony.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Government via CNA
Parents might hit their children after seeing bad grades, but teachers — who are required to report domestic abuse — might not be able file a report with local education authorities, as the wounds might have healed by the time the children return to school, Hou said.
Ji Mei Elementary School principal Hsiao Hui-yin (蕭惠吟) said that grades are only a representation of a student’s learning process, but some parents are prone to read too much into them.
Hou’s proposal was likely meant to offer children a safeguard against abuse, Hsiao said, adding that it was considerate of Hou to propose a way to avoid parents becoming upset.
New Taipei City Department of Education inspector Lin Hui-chuan (林蕙娟) said that Hou could have made the proposal based on domestic violence cases he handled during his time as a police officer.
Hou’s suggestion was to encourage teachers to learn about students’ interactions with their parents and to engage in friendly conversations with them when their children receive less-than-ideal grades, Lin said.
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