Education Emancipation Organization : School principals oppose retiring military instructors

Saturday, January 14, 2017

School principals oppose retiring military instructors

By Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Pan-blue camp Taipei City councilors hold a news conference in Taipei on Friday, criticizing the Ministry of Education (MOE) and calling on the Taipei City Government not to sacrifice military instructors in schools for political reasons.

Photo: Shen Pei-yao, Taipei Times

Ninety percent of senior-high school principals in Taipei are against a central government policy to retire military instructors from campuses, a Taipei Department of Education survey has found.

The department this month conducted a survey among principals at 69 senior-high schools in Taipei, which found that 90 percent of them were against the Ministry of Education’s policy to replace military instructors with security guards, while 99 percent of respondents said that they were satisfied with military instructors’ service at their schools.

Military instructors are soldiers assigned by the Ministry of National Defense to high schools, colleges and universities to teach basic military training courses and protect students.

The legislature in 2013 passed a supplementary resolution to an amendment to the Senior High School Education Act (高級中等教育法), which states that military instructors should be gradually retired from senior-high schools, by closing job vacancies — on the condition that student safety can be ensured — so that soldiers can reintegrate into the national defense system.

Seventy-four percent of principals said that they disagreed that instructors’ work can be handed over to security guards, according to the survey released on Friday.

Military instructors are no longer a symbol of authoritarian education, but are concerned with protecting students, preventing schoolyard bullying and violence and barring drugs and gangsters from entering campuses, the department said.

“The survey results showed that the majority of principals believe removing military instructors from campuses would give rise to a transitional period that would be unsafe for students,” it said.

The department said it would forward the survey results to the Ministry of Education and ask it to be prudent about its policy to retire military instructors.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei city councilors on the same day held a news conference to defend military instructors’ role on campuses.

The ministry has set out a plan to train 1,000 security guards every year and replace all instructors by 2021, but every security guard would only receive 70 hours of training.

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Menu of Teachers' Union Activities

Teachers' Union chapters need to be more actively democratic and responsive to its members needs. It is important to achieve this by creating sub-committees that would address areas of interest to members and get many members involved. Each sub- committee would be comprised of teacher and para-professional volunteers and facilitated by an elected committee member. Sub-committee membership is the vehicle for any interested teacher or para-professional who would like to become more active in social or political issues affecting the teachers' union chapter,improve the flow of information to  members, and make improvements to  work

environment.

MENU OF UNION ACTIVITIES Listed below is each objective and a proposal for sub-committees that would be created to realize that objective. Maybe you have an idea for another sub-committee? Remember, the form and direction of each sub-committee takes shape through you.

OBJECTIVE -ACTIVITY “To cooperate to the fullest extent with the labor movement

and to work for a progressive labor philosophy to awaken in

all members a labor consciousness and sense of solidarity

with labor.”

1. Union Solidarity Committee: Discuss labor issues with

possible petition drives. Update and advise colleagues on

contract issues. Contact and keep up with labor issues in

other schools in the area and worldwide..

****************************************************************

“To protect the schools against unsound economy and against efforts at domination by political, economic, religious, or military group.”

2. Sweat-free School Committee: Help your school join the

movement against sweatshops by identifying violators and

using union-made items at school.

3. Tolerance Committee: Discuss and recommend ways for

helping students get along better and helping teachers

understand cultural diversity. Work with clubs and the

student organization to promote cross-cultural sensitivity.

**************************************************************

“To promote education as a social agency for developing

the capacities of the young, for enlightened adults, and for

working toward a society motivated by the ideal of service and democratic participation.”

4. Teachers’ Resource Committee: Organize and expand

the teachers’ library resources such as videos, text,

classroom activity manuals, and member services brochures.

This includes the maintenance of office equipment, such as

the copy machine, computer, printer, and television. ****************************************************************

“To make members aware of their political responsibilities.”

5. Bulletin Committee: Update, decorate, and maintain the

union message boards. Monitor and maintain our list-serve.

Consider creating a chapter newsletter.

****************************************************************

“To advance the economic and professional interests of

members.”

6. Financial Advisory Committee: Act as an adviser to both

new and old colleagues with their financial questions on 401K, tax deferred annuity, DA, pension, and payroll.

7. In-Service Training Committee: Act as an advisor assisting

colleagues on licensing requirements, degree fulfillment, as

well as available classes for professional development, and

credits toward salary steps. Have information on sabbaticals. *****************************************************************

“To establish the active participation of education employees

in the formulation of educational policies.”

8. Education Committee: Discuss trends in education,

standardized testing, and effective teaching methodologies.

Create and develop a bank of useful teaching methodologies,

materials and plans. Assist colleagues *****************************************************************

“To work for democratic administration and supervision.”

9. Union-Administration Consultation Committee: Form an

agenda from sub-committee suggestions and prepare for

consultation meetings with the principal as required of elected Committee members. Report to the rank and file.

10. School General Assembly Committee: Attend, present our

petitions, and report on G.A. Required of Committee Delegates. ******************************************************************

“To protect members whenever necessary.”

11. Safety Committee: Advise colleagues on strategies for

classroom management and violence prevention. Instruct on

the procedures established for dealing with disruptive students.

12. New Teacher Support Group: Help new teachers maneuver in your school and give advise on clerical matters. how to survive an observation, and how to file grievance reports. Review mentoring candidates and help with selection.

13. Health Committee: Advise on insurance plans and make

available listings of doctors, dentists, and labs. Make available

 information of stress management. Work toward making your

school a safer school. Meet with cafeteria personnel to discuss and develop healthier lunch menus.

*****************************************************************

I believe each sub-committee can work toward creating a new

union environment in our schools, one of action, inclusion, and service. Each person can contribute to their area of expertise. In these days of union entrenchment, we must be more active to protect the gains you have made and make sure we’re fairly represented.

Education Emancipation Organization

Saturday, January 14, 2017

School principals oppose retiring military instructors

School principals oppose retiring military instructors

Pan-blue camp Taipei City councilors hold a news conference in Taipei on Friday, criticizing the Ministry of Education (MOE) and calling on the Taipei City Government not to sacrifice military instructors in schools for political reasons.

Photo: Shen Pei-yao, Taipei Times

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