News - Country:
Taiwan - Theme: Status of Teachers
Taiwan: Teachers wear black for Teachers' Day (28 September 2012)
On the occasion of Taiwan's national teachers' day (28 September), National Teachers' Association (NTA) and National Federation of Teachers' Unions (NFTU) members join in a highly symbolic action to remind the government about its promises that have not been kept.
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Image by sizumaru via Flickr
http://www.ei-ie.org/kroppr/eikropped/taiwan_sizumaru_134882827813488282782471.jpg
NTA and NFTU called on teachers to wear black T-shirts to remind President Ma Ying-Jeou that promises he made to teachers as far back as 2008 are not forgotten. These t-shirts, printed with the Chinese character, "誠" (which stands for "integrity"), were ordered by 30,000 teachers - before stocks ran out.
The unions have been pressing the government on a range of issues. Among them are:
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A national pension plan for private school teachers (promised in 2010)
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Increasing the national education budget to the equivalent of about US$816 million (promised in 2008, during President Ma's election campaign)
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Decreasing class sizes to a maxiumum of 25 pupils (also a promise from the election campaign)
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Increasing the number of primary school full-time teachers (2011 promise)
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Increasing subsidies for classroom teachers (2011 promise)
Integrity is priceless
NTA President Liu Chin-Hsu said he was overwhelmed by the response to the campaign; "Teachers in Taiwan stand united to remind the government that education will be hurt if the government does not keep these publicly-made promises. Integrity is priceless - but most of all, it's the future generations that are at stake if we cannot provide them with adequate means for learning."
EI: governments must take education into account
The EI General Secretary, Fred van Leeuwen, supported the teachers of Taiwan in their cause. "Education is a major factor in the economic, democratic and social development of a country. It is important that governments take this into account," he said.