Sun, Apr 24, 2022 page3

• Proposed law for private schools handles issues: source

  • By Chen Yun, Rachel Lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer
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  Passage of a proposed act to shutter private high schools and similar institutes would provide a legislative basis to close private schools and deal with issues that might arise, including severance payouts, student transfers and repurposing of land, a source said on Friday.

  At least 40 private junior colleges and high schools would qualify for special assistance, and they could close within two years if they do not improve, the source said on condition of anonymity.

  Private vocational junior colleges and private high schools where not enough faculty meet regulatory standards would be placed on a warning list, says the act, which passed its third reading on Friday.

  If the faculty situation persists into the next scholastic year, the school can be listed as needing assistance from a special project, the act says.

  The Ministry of Education would establish a review committee, including the school’s board, members of the faculty, student representatives, experts and members of society of upstanding integrity, to determine whether the school should be assisted via a special project, it says.

  Authorities should assign faculty members, student representatives and an academic to the board, and an additional academic as a comptroller, should a school require the assistance of a special project, it says.

  During this period, ministry approval must be sought for construction projects exceeding NT$1 million (US$34,176), financial purchases or labor contracts, realty exchanges and redistribution of responsibility, to prevent other board members from gaining an opportunity to liquidate school assets, the act says.

  Schools under project assistance should, within two years, see amelioration, it says, adding that if they fail to do so, they should stop recruitment and, in the succeeding year, be suspended.

  If suspended, the board must be dismissed and faculty and experts should not number less than three-quarters of the new board, of which one-third should be comprised of teaching faculty, the act says.

  However, during the two years of assistance, schools can apply to alter their scholastic designation, merge with another school or change into an association tasked with education, culture or social welfare, it says.

  In the event that a school stops recruiting, it should pay its faculty severance and retirement payouts, but the fund is only responsible for a payout of six months, the act says.

  Such schools are to facilitate the transfer of students to other schools, and should subsidize them if they face increased expenditure at their new institute, it says.

  However, the National Federation of Teachers Union on Friday said that allowing schools to transition their designation would leave a back door for asset liquidation and would create chaos.

  The ministry should carefully monitor any changes to private school equity and ensure that education resources be used appropriately.

  Additionally, with a decreasing student population, the ministry estimates that by 2028, the freshman student population would drop to 162,000, down by 116,000, or 40 percent, from 2012.

  Private school unions also estimated that more than 40 private schools face closure by 2029, and at least 53 private high schools and private vocational high schools will close in the five years following that.
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