Taichung, Sept. 8 (CNA) The investigation into a former Taichung school principal who allegedly pressured a female student to have sex over a period of four years from 25 years ago is ongoing, the city's mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said on Thursday as she urged any other victims to come forward.
Humanistic Education Foundation officials on Friday called on the government to dismiss teachers found to have sexually harassed students, citing a case in which an accused teacher only received a six-month suspension and could return to their job.
Foundation members were joined by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) at a news conference in Taipei, calling for laws to be updated so that sexual offenders are appropriately disciplined and banned from teaching.
Foundation executive director Joanna Feng (馮喬蘭) said that evidence and testimony from victims indicated that a junior-high school teacher in Yilan County had enticed students into a romantic relationship
More than three-quarters of Taiwanese support amending laws to ban corporal punishment at home, the Humanistic Education Foundation told a news conference on Tuesday.
A survey conducted by the foundation showed that 39.2 percent of parents discipline their children using corporal punishment, 66.3 percent scold their children and 56.3 percent dispense other forms of punishments.
The survey also showed that 96.5 percent of parents teach their kids by reasoning or communicating with them.
The majority of parents support banning corporal punishment at home, with 24.1 percent being highly supportive and 53.6 percent agreeing if there are supporting measures in place, the survey
The Ministry of Education has added a few procedural specification to its “important notes regarding school regulations for teachers’ guidance and discipline of students,” one of which requires that searches of students and their personal belongings be recorded, and students be accompanied by a parent association representative, a student association officer or a teacher to protect their rights.
Social groups, such as the Humanistic Education Foundation (人本教育基金會), have cast doubts on the changes, saying that as the ministry’s guidance is set at the level of administrative rules and regulations, teachers should not be allowed to search students’ school bags.
The Criminal Code