High-school students yesterday demonstrated in support of students’ rights outside a meeting to assess Taiwan’s progress in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The review of the government’s CRC report, conducted every five years in accordance with the Implementation Act of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (兒童權利公約施行法), was held yesterday in Taipei.
Although not an official signatory to the convention, as it is not a UN member, Taiwan adopted the convention in 2014 and promulgated the act to pledge its commitment to the goals of the accord.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
A panel of five experts is meeting at the Taipei International Convention Center until Friday to review progress since the first report, and to review proposed recommendations for the next five years.
Students gathered in front of the center to call attention to “unreasonable” school regulations and norms that infringe on students’ rights.
They cited teachers measuring students’ bangs with a ruler, even though hairstyle rules were repealed 17 years ago.
The Ministry of Education in recent years eased dress regulations and mandatory morning study hall, Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy deputy director Ho Wei-tzu (何蔚慈) said.
However, schools have been slow to change, and many are operating in defiance of ministry rules, he said.
While reporting mechanisms have been updated to allow students to report contraventions, Ho said that the ministry should not wait until it receives a complaint before acting.
Instead, it should be regularly and randomly inspecting schools to ensure compliance, he added.
Authorities should check to make sure student complaints are addressed to make sure they are not left to face the situation alone, he said.
Yesterday’s demonstration was entirely student-initiated and led, Ho said, adding that they would make a presentation to the panel.
Kevin Huang (黃冠凱), head of the student council at the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University, criticized a tendency among school administrators to ignore student views.
As the representative of a student organization, Huang said he has attended many school meetings at various levels, but it is difficult for students to be heard.
For example, last year the council proposed allowing students to eat lunch off campus, but the idea was rejected in a vote dominated by school administrators, he said.
The right of children to participate in public affairs is protected under the CRC, he said, urging school administrators to listen to students’ views and respect their rights.
The Ministry of Education’s Department of Student Affairs and Special Education Director Wu Lin-hui (吳林輝) accepted a petition from the students, saying he would convey their sentiments to teachers and school administrators.
He said he recognizes their demands, but added that ministry policies are already drafted according to their demands, and following other advanced nations.
Ministry regulations are unevenly adopted by schools, Wu said, urging administrators to update their policies.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS