Tamkang layoff proposal sparks student protests

By Lee Ya-wen  /  Staff reporter

Wang Hui-chuan, left, an associate professor in Tamkang University’s English department, talks on Friday in New Taipei City about the increased teaching burden for full-time lecturers after the university decided to lay off part-time teachers.

Photo: Lee Ya-wen, Taipei Times

Students at Tamkang University in New Taipei City on Friday staged a protest against a layoff plan they said the school proposed to avoid paying pensions and National Health Insurance premiums for its part-time teaching staff.

An amendment to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) that takes effect in August would require such payments, they said.

Rallying in front of a school building, a group of protesters held up placards, shouting: “Protect teachers’ right to work. No compromise on students’ right to education.”

The alleged layoff plan is detrimental to learning, as it would result in a drain of teaching staff and larger classes, and would leave students with fewer course choices, the protesters said.

Students at the university have already had to forgo their preferred courses, as the school has not provided enough opportunities, and layoffs would only make matters worse, student Hsieh Yi-hung (謝毅弘) said.

Hsieh said he launched a petition urging the university to abandon the plan and reinstate all the courses it plans to cancel.

The petition also asked the school not to fire part-time academics, not to make full-time teaching staff work overtime and to stop hurting teaching quality by merging classes.

Prior to the protest, the petition had already received more than 1,800 signatures, he said.

Protesters later attempted to deliver the petition to university president Chang Chia-i (張家宜), who sent Office of Academic Affairs dean Lin Chun-hung (林俊宏) to meet them instead.

Lin said he could not guarantee the university would schedule a hearing, angering the protesters, who demanded answers from the school’s management.

Taiwan Higher Education Union director Chen Shu-han (陳書涵), who participated in the protest, criticized the university, saying that the school showed no intention to resolve the issue.

English department associate professor Wang Hui-chuan (王慧娟) said her department had 68 part-time lecturers, but only 38 full-time lecturers.

The department’s faculty was shocked when they learned of the layoff plan, which would shift the burden of teaching to full-time teaching staff after part-time lecturers are dismissed, she said.

The department offers 164 classes for first and second-year students, 102 of whom would be left with no lecturers after the plan comes into effect, she said.

“The plan came as a surprise, and we have to suffer the loss of many great colleagues,” Wang said.

A student in the French department, who requested anonymity, said that conversation classes are kept small so that students have enough class time to practice, but that the number of students in a conversation class would increase to 70 if the plan is pushed through.

“How are we supposed to learn this way?” the student asked.

NTU president to resign amid scandal

RESTOREDYang Pan-chyr said that National Taiwan University is a valuable asset and that he would resign to protect the reputation and achievements of the institution

By Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

National Taiwan University President Yang Pan-chyr yesterday announces during a conference at the university that he will resign as president when his current term ends in June.

Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

National Taiwan University (NTU) president Yang Pan-chyr (楊泮池) yesterday said he would resign after his term expires in June, because he does not want allegations of academic misconduct to continue be directed at the university in the wake of suspected breaches of academic integrity involving him and former NTU professor Kuo Min-liang (郭明良).

“I am the coauthor of some of the research papers being investigated, but I did not breach academic ethics and I was unaware of the issues in [Kuo’s] laboratory,” Yang said, referring to four potentially problematic papers he cowrote with Kuo’s research team between 2004 and 2006.

The school late last month dismissed Kuo and professor of dentistry Chang Cheng-chi (張正琪) over the matter.

Yang said at an internal university meeting that even though an independent investigation committee convened by the university had proven his innocence, as head of the university he must make his position on the incident known.

The allegations represented a setback for the university and revealed many shortcomings, Yang said, but added that he believes the institution can overcome the issues through introspection and continue to contribute to society.

Some academics have allowed the incident to degenerate into mudslinging by making unfounded accusations, Yang said.

A handful of individuals have been manipulating the media because of their personal preferences, he said.

“The university is a valuable Taiwanese asset. I hope to see more, but this cannot be achieved through compromising others’ achievements,” he said.

“To protect the school from criticism and restore harmony in the university system, I will tender my resignation after my term ends in June,” he said.

“I cannot bear to see NTU continue to take blows in the wake of this incident,” Yang said.

His resignation can only take effect if it is approved by participants at the meeting, he said, adding that the decision was not meant to “assume administrative responsibility,” but to defend the university.

Meanwhile, in response to Chang’s accusation that NTU vice president Kuo Te-wei (郭大維) and four top university officials on Nov. 11 last year, formed a conclave, Kuo presented his passport, showing that he was in Mexico at the time, as evidence that he had not attended the alleged meeting.

Chang on Tuesday submitted an audio recording that she said contained information at the alleged meeting, during which Yang urged Kuo Min-liang to resign on the condition that he would find him a job at a pharmaceutical firm and that he and Chang “shut up” about the alleged academic scandal.

The recording is being investigated by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology.

Additional reporting by Wu Po-hsuan and Rachel Lin

Call for pension parity for private school teachers

By Abraham Gerber  /  Staff reporter

Pension contributions and benefits for private-school teachers should be brought into line with those of ordinary workers as part of pension reform, a teachers’ union said yesterday.

“The government’s plan still has not taken into consideration the situation of private-school teachers,” Taiwan Higher Education Union secretary-general Chen Cheng-liang (陳政亮) said. “Reform has now become a process of continually cutting benefits, but that still will not make the system fairer unless we also improve benefits for those worse off.”

The separate pension systems in place for private and public-school teachers have led to dramatically disparate retirement benefits, even though the salaries and responsibilities of both groups are equivalent, he said.

Private-school teachers’ average monthly pensions are below NT$30,000 (US$980), less than half those of public-school teachers, he said.

“The current system has created a situation in which the income replacement ratio for private-school teachers is lower than any other professional category, even ordinary workers,” union researcher Chen Po-chien (陳柏謙) said, calling for the payment rates to be increased from 1.33 percentage points to 1.55 percentage points for each year of seniority.

Extra benefits should be paid for by increasing payments into the fund for private teachers by 50 percent, using additional school and government contributions, he said.

Given the union’s estimates, the government would need to budget an average of NT$1.56 billion per year, with private schools liable for an additional NT$600 million annually, he said.

Kainan University public administration professor Chang Kuo-sheng (張國聖) said linking private teachers’ income replacement ratio with that of ordinary workers would lay the groundwork for integrating private teachers’ pensions with those enjoyed under the National Labor Insurance.

MOE offers fun Mandarin learning program

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES:The education ministry is hoping that foreigners would learn from the classes that Taiwan is a top destination for people wanting to learn Mandarin

By Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday introduced this year’s free Mandarin learning program, which will take participants on a tour of areas in Taipei known for their slower-paced lifestyle and guide them through a variety of hands-on activities, allowing them to learn Mandarin in real-life situations.

The first course, titled “My Third Space,” which is to run from March 29 to May 2, will cover topics ranging from coffee making, interior design and gardening to painting, movie screening, handicrafts and flower arrangement, with classes being held in Songshan (松山), Zhongshan (中山) and Tatung (大同) districts, the ministry said.

From March 31 to May 17, city tours titled “The city is a classroom,” each lasting three hours, are to take place in the Minsheng Community and neighborhoods close to the Zhongshan and Shuanglian MRT stations, where select tourist spots and shops will be featured, the ministry said.

“Be friends with celebrities,” scheduled from April 11 to May 12, will feature five keynote speeches by a record company executive, a landscape design professor, art gallery directors and a typecaster in the printing industry.

A Mandarin teacher will be assigned to each class to assist participants, the ministry said.

“Learning a language takes more than sitting in a classroom. Real life situations must also come into play,” said project leader Liu Wei-gong (劉維公), an associate professor of sociology at Soochow University.

Liu said he hoped that foreigners would learn from the courses that Taiwan is a top destination for people wanting to learn Mandarin, thereby generating more interest among foreigners to study in Taiwan.

The ministry has set the number of admissions for each course at between 15 and 20.

People interested in signing up for any of the courses can leave a message at www.facebook.com/learnMandarin.edu.

Confirmed applicants will receive a full schedule of the classes in English.

Doctoral graduates eyeing employment overseas: survey

Staff writer, with CNA

A National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) survey said that 33 percent of Taiwan’s doctoral graduates would consider working overseas in the next five years, with the most desired destinations being the US and China.

The survey released yesterday showed that of those interested in working overseas, 37 percent prefer the US and 26 percent China, while 77 percent said they would be willing to return to Taiwan after a period abroad.

Doctoral graduates aged 40 or younger showed most interest in working overseas, it said.

The NARL said that more than half of respondents with a preference for the US or China were attracted by the prospects of a higher salary or better environment.

The US holds the advantage because of its leadership academia and research, while China has strong market potential and opportunities for industrial development, the analysis said.

The NARL said that companies should invest more in research and development to improve competitiveness.

NARL Science and Technology Policy Research and Information Center director-general Joung Yuh-jzer (莊裕澤) said that although such an outflow of talent would lead to a 0.2 to 0.5 percent drop in GDP, in the long term such people would boost GDP growth by up to 4 percent when they returned.

The survey drew responses from 5,196 doctoral graduates, with a 12.5 percent response rate.

Among respondents, 5 percent worked in the private sector, 73 percent in universities and 12 percent at research institutes.

If no reform, huge pension costs to hit teachers: MOE

By Rachel Lin, Wu Po-wei and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Should the government fail to reform pensions, educators themselves would face much heavier tax burdens, as the shrinking number of teachers means that individuals will have to pay a higher proportion of their salaries into the pension fund, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said.

The ministry said it based its calculations on a report it issued last year detailing expenses for pension payouts under the current system.

Of the 118,000 former teachers on the monthly pension payout program, about 50,000 retired within the last decade while 6,728 retired last year, the report said.

The ministry reported a spike in retirement rates for teachers in recent years, with 3,000 retiring from public schools in 2015.

An estimated 8,000 elementary and junior-high school teachers are to retire by 2020, the ministry said.

The reduced numbers of working teachers — due to low birthrates — means that higher proportions of their salaries would have to go toward paying pensions, the ministry said.

Annual pension payouts are set to peak in 2026, with the government expected to pay at least NT$140 million (US$4.51 million) in that year tocover the pensions of educators and civil servants.

The Educators’ Pension Fund (教育人員退撫基金) might well become insolvent before 2030, the Ministry of Civil Service said.

Another fund should be established, National Federation of Teachers Unions president Chang Hsu-cheng (張旭政) said.

All monies saved from implementing reforms, which include phasing out the 18 percent preferential saving rates for educators, civil servants and military personnel who retired before 1995, should be allocated to the pension fund, Chang said.

The preferential saving rates were implemented in 1958 due to the perceived low income of educators, civil servants and teachers in comparison with other occupations. It was abolished for all members of these professions who retired after 1995.

According to 30-year-old elementary-school teacher Cheng Chia-wei (鄭嘉偉), the pension fund problem affects all teachers under 50 who are still working.

Teachers under 35 might see the fund going bust before they have even retired, Cheng said, adding that the pension system should be reformed so younger teachers can get decent pensions.

In related news, the civil ministry said that in 2015 alone, 12,000 civil servants retired — the highest number in a single year over the past decade.

The number of civil servants is declining, the Ministry of Civil Service said, adding that the number is expected to decline a further 3 to 5 percent from its current 340,000.

Without reform, civil servant pensions would cost NT$160 trillion over the next 30 years, the ministry said.

The bill rises to more than NT$340 trillion when combined with teachers’ pensions, the civil ministry said.

At least 80 schools signed letters with China: MOE

By Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung speaks at a forum in Miaoli County yesterday. Pan said the ministry will handle the issue of universities having signed “letters of agreement” with China in accordance with the law.

Photo: Peng Chien-lee, Taipei Times

At least half of the 157 universities nationwide have signed agreements with Chinese institutions promising not to mention issues regarding “one China,” “one China, one Taiwan” or Taiwanese independence in class, a preliminary investigation by the Ministry of Education (MOE) found yesterday.

Among the national universities that have signed such agreements are National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chiao Tung University, National Chengchi University, National Sun Yat-sen University, National Chung Hsing University, National University of Kaohsiung, National Dong Hwa University and National Taitung University, as well as technology institutions National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, the investigation showed.

Private universities that have signed such agreements include Shih Hsin University, Fu Jen Catholic University, Chinese Culture University, Tamkang University, Tunghai University and Feng Chia University, the ministry said.

It said it expects to complete the investigation in two weeks to ascertain the reasons the agreements were signed as well as their scope.

The ministry added it would hold a meeting with the Mainland Affairs Council to determine whether and how the schools are to be punished for possible breaches of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).

Meanwhile, the schools named in the probe denied they had signed “letters of agreement” asserting Beijing’s “one China” principle, which claims Taiwan is part of China.

National Taiwan University secretary-general Lin Ta-te (林達德) said demands by Chinese institutions that the university sign a “letter of agreement” as a precondition for academic exchanges soared after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) assumed the presidency in May last year.

However, the school has since Aug. 16 last year stopped signing such agreements out of concern that it might not be able to fully adhere to China’s demands, he said, adding that since then, the university has opted to issue “statements” addressed to Chinese institutions declaring that it would not discuss cross-strait relations.

National Cheng Kung University said the letter it signed was aimed at informing Chinese students that they would not receive “political” instruction at the school.

Many schools signed similar documents years ago, which does not mean they endorse Beijing’s “one China” principle, it added.

National Chiao Tung University denied having signed a letter of consent, saying the letter is not an accord, but an “explanation” to faculty members and students and therefore does not require the ministry’s approval.

The letters said that Chinese students would not participate in political discussions during their time at the university, and the phrase “one China” is not mentioned in the letter, the university said, adding that its purpose was to help Chinese students more quickly pass review procedures in China.

National Sun Yat-sen University said the letter it signed cannot be called a “letter of agreement,” as it was only an “attachment” rather than an official document.

It said it has not downgraded the nation’s status, calling on the public to refrain from attaching such labels to the school and have confidence in the nation’s academic freedoms, freedom of speech and the democratic values by which it has stood.

Fu Jen University said it has launched a probe into any agreements on academic exchanges that its management and colleges have signed, but added it has no jurisdiction over documents signed by its departments to promote cross-strait exchanges.

New Power Party Legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) urged the ministry to find out when the documents were signed to determine whether past administrations had been negligent over the issue.

Calling the the agreements “the biggest laughingstock in the history of education,” Hsu called on the ministry to hold former ministers of education to account, adding that “united front” tactics employed by Beijing on Taiwanese universities must be rooted out.

Additional reporting by Liu Wan-chun, Yeh Kuan-yu, Hung Ting-hung, Wang Chun-chieh and CNA

Hong-Wen High School's New York Jew Talk

On Nov. 1, 2016, I conducted an event for the EFL and history teachers of Hong-Wen High School in Tan-Zih. The organizer wanted to hear me give a talk about off-the-beaten-path places to visit in New York, and "My Faith; Judaism." I hope that what I did there would have some bearing on what they'll teach the kids. I would have liked to interject a main component of an EFL class: reported speech, so they could practice a more Natural Approach with the students, but it was shocking to them when I asked that they participate. Instead, I ending up being Sidney Sheldon. 

I started the talk with a brief introduction of myself with a power point presentation and then "My Faith; Judaism," the hard-hitting summary of Jewish history and culture for a people who are generally prejudiced or ignorant about us. At the request of my Mandarin teacher, I had given the presentation to her Chinese culture class at a university in Nantou. At that time, I had two hours to briefly go over Jewish history and culture and lay out my theory about why there is so much antisemitism in the world today, but at the in-service training in Tan-Zih, I had to rush; not an easy task when I am speaking slowly for the EFL learned teachers to understand. 

Power Point: Judaism; My Faith

When I reached the slides discussing the Christian prejudice against Jews and the jealousy towards my faith, it hit a raw nerve. They had never heard the European experience of Judaism before; they thought Hitler was an isolated case of antisemitism and didn't realize how it stretched back to the tenth century, how Christian religious and political leaders, such as  Pope Urban II's Crusades, Martin Luther's Protestantism, the French Dreyfus prejudice had led to Adolph Hitler's Nazi Party, how they tried to obliterate us. They knew what modern Christian Millennial hate was about and why the Trump administration would be so abhorred by most open-minded Americans. (NOTE: The presentation was given a week before Trump was elected U.S. President.)

     

Some Christian teachers were taken aback by my directness, but in the feedback at the end of the presentation, the organizer and participants said it was one of the most interesting English talks they have ever heard.   

   After a short break I brought up "New York City; Far From the Madding Crowd," an interactive slide show I had made especially for this group. They enjoyed it so much. My seven-day tour of New York City, step by step, from getting off the plane at JFK to visiting each borough, except the Bronx, was exciting to them. They would love to travel to New York City one day. The teachers particularly liked the YouTube videos I included of the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster, Parachute Jump,  Staten Island Ferry view, and Museum of the Moving Image. You can watch it for yourself at the link below: 

Power Point: New York City

I concentrated on showing places few tourists knew and even many New Yorkers would have found out of the ordinary. Imagine; three spots to visit in Staten Island, four including the ferry! A Motel 6 in Queens and two place in Queens to visit: the Museum of Moving Image , or the colonial African-American settlement. They hopped off the subway with me from Central Park to The Cloisters, bypassing the Bronx Zoo or Yankee Stadium. We walked the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, visited South Street Seaport, and circled back to Brooklyn on the Manhattan Bridge after visiting.

 Chinatown and Little Italy; the only tourist-friendly places I included since the teachers are all Taiwanese. In Brooklyn they took the "F" elevated train line to Coney Island and the "D" back to the Botanic Gardens, for to see the cherry blossoms, The Brooklyn Museum, and Grand Army Plaza Library and Arch near Prospect Park. I thought of heading to 7th Ave for a taste of yuppie heaven. I didn't compile a list of my favorite restaurants but joked that they could eat ramen noodles in the hotel room to save money or splurge, if they wished, but the whole trip, including airfare, could have been enjoyed for $3000 U.S.  The teachers were ready to pack their bags and go 

Postscript: When the news broke about the high school in Taiwan that had a Nazi parade on International Culture Day, the organizer from Hong-Wen High School called my home to wish me well and to thank me again for going to speak with the faculty. It showed that my outreach had some positive effect. Respect and understanding of each others' culture is the only solution for world peace.