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They cited teachers measuring students’ bangs with a ruler, even though hairstyle rules were repealed 17 years ago.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.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The first of 10 new high-capacity trains purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem arrived at the Port of Taipei yesterday to meet the demands of an expanding metro network, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. The train completed a three-day, 1,200km voyage from the Port of Masan in South Korea, the company said. Costing NT$590 million (US$18.79 million) each, the new six-carriage trains feature a redesigned interior based on "human-centric" transportation concepts, TRTC said. The design utilizes continuous longitudinal seating to widen the aisles and optimize passenger flow, while also upgrading passenger information displays and driving control systems for a more comfortable
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
RSS