FWIW, various government organs are in apeshit mode now over this thing in the news lately. It’s not limited to foreigners.
You mean they’re going to require background checks for all buxiban teachers in Taiwan? Or they’re just asking buxibans to be more careful?
For one thing, all schools have to register every remotely teaching involved employee, foreign or otherwise, on a website.
…and what site is that then?
Link?
things may be a changin
If they require an FBI background check, which is a major hassle to have done, I predict a sharp drop in Americans applying for ESL jobs here. What are these bureaucrats thinking? A Taiwanese cram school teacher has sex with a student, allegedly resulting in her suicide. I know, let’s scapegoat those pesky foreign English teachers! They’re a small and powerless group, so we can win cheap political points with no repercussions.
And then, in the near future when the industry starts having trouble recruiting the teachers it needs, those same bureaucrats will start scratching their heads. Taiwan has so much to offer and provides such a great working environment, why aren’t those pesky foreigners beating down the door to come teach here?
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Fwiw, I was working in Korea when they started requiring FBI checks for ARC holders, and it didn’t slow down the flood of foreign teachers coming in and looking for jobs. Maybe Taiwan is a different kettle of fish, but I doubt it. I’m torn on the topic. On the one hand, it’d be a lot of added bureaucratic headaches, expenses and hoops to go through. And people pinched for minor stuff, like public intox from years ago, shouldn’t be denied jobs of course. But I can’t blame them if they want to make sure people convicted of more serious crimes, like violent assaults or sex offenses, aren’t here applying to teach their kids. Just a shame everyone would have to suffer due to the actions of a few wankers.
I’d assume it didn’t affect things so much in Korea because of the better pay and perks. If Taiwan’s govt is really worried about such things, it should sign an agreement with the U.S. to share info on violent and sex offenders.
It’s standard practice back in australia for anyone working with children to undergo a criminal record check. I can’t see why it’s a big deal for those serious about working with children (both local and foreign teachers) to show that they have nothing that could endanger the welfare of those under their care.
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Might as well throw in a drug test and AIDS test while they’re at it. Oh, wait…they already do that. 
Oh, and this isn’t just for teachers working with children, it’s for everybody.
Teachers are coming from a lot more countries than just the US. Not sure how realistic or feasible a global shared database is. Or how it’d be any simpler than filing for a background check. They probably should do checks, but just deny ARCs for those convicted of felonies, not misdemeanors.
Actually, teachers in schools aren’t required to get health checks for their work permits… cram school / language centre instructors are…
But why stop at violent and sex offenders?
Correction: if you will be working anywhere near children, not just with children under your care.
and provides such a great working environment
I have never seen any such great environment in all my time working in Taiwan…
That was a thought bubble from a Taiwanese bureaucrat. They don’t spend much time down in the trenches.
You’re saying a cram school isn’t a real school? Elitist!
I’m saying that one group are employed as white-collar professionals and don’t require a health check due to their qualifications, and the other are cram school teachers.
Article 46 of the Employment Services Act (2006) shows the difference in the occupations:
I don’t see anything elitist about this.
Relax, I was just joking. On the other hand, cram school teachers aren’t exactly blue collar either.
When the government says white collar, it means Subpar. 1 to 6, so buxiban teachers are included.