A non-Taiwanese friend of mine told me she heard an interview with Dr. Danial Bauer of Fu Ren University on ICRT discussing proposed regulation of ROC teacher’s political rights. She says the discussion was that teachers would be forbidden from attending political demonstrations. A well-informed Taiwanese friend said that he had heard the same thing and that the proposal had come from the MOE, and that there had been so much backlash from teachers the proposal had been dropped. Other well-informed Taiwanese friends have heard nothing about this. That bastion of journalistic excellence, the Taipei Times, has not reported on this, but I take that to mean nothing much of anything.
I have heard about it, but am a little thin on details.
Yes, it is a real proposal. Yes, teachers are up in arms about it - including those in my office.
What is not clear according to my collegues is would it affect private school teachers (like where I work) or not.
Apparently, it would bar teachers from participating in political rallies, protests, or any other public event in which one’s political proclivities would be declared.
As to its current status, I don’t know. Interesting that the KMT would consider passing a law that would affect one of its traditional constiuencies, however, perhaps they figure that they are already buying them off with the preferential interest rates in banks, so it is ok.
Thank you very much for the feedback. Please keep me informed about anything you hear.
This doens’t seem strange at all to me. It’s the deal that teachers used to get. Teachers were eligable for the 18% savings account to save pension money, as well as access to many other perks shared with civil servants and the military. They were in effect a paramilitary wing of the government. The trade was that they supported the KMT politically. That can’t be guarunteed now. The solution is to ban teachers from political activity.
Sounds unworkable to me. How would the MOE know if teachers are at a protest? When 100 000 people (or however many 5/17 was) go to a protest, what are the authorities going to do - check everyone’s work details to make sure they’re not a teacher?
I can see how in-class political activity could be regulated, but there’s no way that it could be enforced for a Sunday protest.
I think you are talking about a strike ban for teachers, not a ban on regular political protest (which would be impossible to enforce and achieve nothing).
Here is a news story in Chinese. nownews.com/2009/06/07/301-2461112.htm
[quote=“cfimages”]Sounds unworkable to me. How would the MOE know if teachers are at a protest? When 100 000 people (or however many 5/17 was) go to a protest, what are the authorities going to do - check everyone’s work details to make sure they’re not a teacher?
I can see how in-class political activity could be regulated, but there’s no way that it could be enforced for a Sunday protest.[/quote]
Remember all of those cameras at the most recent anti-Ma protest?
[quote=“Mawvellous”]I think you are talking about a strike ban for teachers, not a ban on regular political protest (which would be impossible to enforce and achieve nothing).
Here is a news story in Chinese. nownews.com/2009/06/07/301-2461112.htm[/quote]
That is not what has been reported on some broadcast media nor is that what some teachers in my office were talking about a couple of days ago. There has long been a strike ban on government school teachers.
[quote=“ludahai”]however, perhaps they figure that they are already buying them off with the preferential interest rates in banks, so it is ok.[/quote]I’m married to a teacher, and she would love to know how to get this mythical 18% interest rate. You seem to know about it, so can you tell us?
Me too. Teachers who retired before 1995 or something like that. ‘Preferential interest’ is slightly above average and limited to NT10 000 per month deposit. From next year, teachers have to pay tax.
A lot of this stuff comes from Green media propaganda shouting the most outrageous claims while keeping the actual details out of the picture.
That is not what has been reported on some broadcast media nor is that what some teachers in my office were talking about a couple of days ago. There has long been a strike ban on government school teachers.[/quote]
So can you provide any link to your story? :loco: The suggestion that teachers would be banned from political protest is pure paranoia probably fed by the green propaganda machine, it would be utterly unenforceable and have no apparent benefit for the KMT.
I think the confusion is: there has long been a ban on teachers striking. Recently the Legislative Yuan has been debating a law which will give some improvements in the right to strike, however according to this law soldiers and teachers are still not allowed to strike, so many teachers are unhappy.
[quote=“ScottSommers”]A non-Taiwanese friend of mine told me she heard an interview with Dr. Danial Bauer of Fu Ren University on ICRT discussing proposed regulation of ROC teacher’s political rights. She says the discussion was that teachers would be forbidden from attending political demonstrations. A well-informed Taiwanese friend said that he had heard the same thing and that the proposal had come from the MOE, and that there had been so much backlash from teachers the proposal had been dropped. Other well-informed Taiwanese friends have heard nothing about this. That bastion of journalistic excellence, the Taipei Times, has not reported on this, but I take that to mean nothing much of anything.
Does anyone know anything about this?[/quote]
There’s an English-language Taiwan News article on that subject. It cites the United Evening News as a source. Here’s a brief excerpt from the article:
[quote]TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Education wants to ban public school teachers from marching in political protests and speaking at election rallies, reports said Tuesday.[/quote] The article is located here at the time of this posting.
There also appears to be a Chinese-language United Daily News article on the same subject (given my very poor Chinese skills, I can’t be sure). That article is located here at the time of this posting.
[quote=“Charlie Jack”][quote=“ScottSommers”]A non-Taiwanese friend of mine told me she heard an interview with Dr. Danial Bauer of Fu Ren University on ICRT discussing proposed regulation of ROC teacher’s political rights. She says the discussion was that teachers would be forbidden from attending political demonstrations. A well-informed Taiwanese friend said that he had heard the same thing and that the proposal had come from the MOE, and that there had been so much backlash from teachers the proposal had been dropped. Other well-informed Taiwanese friends have heard nothing about this. That bastion of journalistic excellence, the Taipei Times, has not reported on this, but I take that to mean nothing much of anything.
Does anyone know anything about this?[/quote]
There’s an English-language Taiwan News article on that subject. It cites the United Evening News as a source. Here’s a brief excerpt from the article:
[quote]TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Education wants to ban public school teachers from marching in political protests and speaking at election rallies, reports said Tuesday.[/quote] The article is located here at the time of this posting.
There also appears to be a Chinese-language United Daily News article on the same subject (given my very poor Chinese skills, I can’t be sure). That article is located here at the time of this posting.[/quote]
You are right, the Chinese article reports the same. Some of the restrictions seem to be in line with other countries, but a ban on marching is completely draconian and unnecessary, and an infringement on the civil rights of teachers. I thought this was just Green propaganda, it seems I was wrong.
Anyway at the moment these are just proposals from the MOE, we will see what comes out at the end.
[quote=“Mawvellous”]. . . a ban on marching. . . . [A]t the moment these are just proposals from the MOE, we will see what comes out at the end.[/quote]Yeah, hopefully the part that bans marching will get culled.
[quote=“ludahai”][quote=“cfimages”]Sounds unworkable to me. How would the MOE know if teachers are at a protest? When 100 000 people (or however many 5/17 was) go to a protest, what are the authorities going to do - check everyone’s work details to make sure they’re not a teacher?
I can see how in-class political activity could be regulated, but there’s no way that it could be enforced for a Sunday protest.[/quote]
Remember all of those cameras at the most recent anti-Ma protest?[/quote]
No, I was at work that day so didn’t see all those cameras coz I wasn’t there. But I did see photos in the media etc and find it hard to believe that someone somewhere will be going through every news report, blog etc trying to identify teachers.
[quote=“cfimages”]
No, I was at work that day so didn’t see all those cameras because I wasn’t there. But I did see photos in the media etc and find it hard to believe that someone somewhere will be going through every news report, blog etc trying to identify teachers.[/quote]
Aargh. Of course they wouldn’t need to do that. Enforcement would be carried out by principals, vicious fellow teachers, parents, even students. It would simply be another bit of leverage to enforce political discipline on Taiwan’s teachers and give local school officials additional leverage over their employees.
Not necessary, Just let someone spot a teacher (due to their profession known by large groups of so-called “students” or “pupils”) on one photo somewhere and talk about it to someone else. You may not be caught the first time, and not the second, but statistic says you will one day…
[quote=“Mawvellous”]
So can you provide any link to your story? :loco: The suggestion that teachers would be banned from political protest is pure paranoia probably fed by the green propaganda machine, it would be utterly unenforceable and have no apparent benefit for the KMT.
I think the confusion is: there has long been a ban on teachers striking. Recently the Legislative Yuan has been debating a law which will give some improvements in the right to strike, however according to this law soldiers and teachers are still not allowed to strike, so many teachers are unhappy.[/quote]
Green paranoia machine? Why did the China Post report on it then? Not exactly part of the “Green Paranoia Machine” as you so eloquently put it. :loco:
[quote=“ludahai”][quote=“Mawvellous”]
So can you provide any link to your story? :loco: The suggestion that teachers would be banned from political protest is pure paranoia probably fed by the green propaganda machine, it would be utterly unenforceable and have no apparent benefit for the KMT.
I think the confusion is: there has long been a ban on teachers striking. Recently the Legislative Yuan has been debating a law which will give some improvements in the right to strike, however according to this law soldiers and teachers are still not allowed to strike, so many teachers are unhappy.[/quote]
Green paranoia machine? Why did the China Post report on it then? Not exactly part of the “Green Paranoia Machine” as you so eloquently put it. :loco:[/quote]
Haha -Green paranoia machine, I like it. :bravo: Unfortunately I only said paranoia fed by the Green propaganda machine. However when I hear Frank Xie claiming that he is not worried if he will stand for President in 2012, but if there will even be an election in 2012, “Green paranoia machine” does seem to a most fitting description.
As for the ban on teachers marching, Charlie Jack already pointed out the news story to me. I am opposed to this proposal, and I hope the law is not passed in this form by the Legislative Yuan.
[quote=“Mawvellous”][quote=“ludahai”][quote=“Mawvellous”]
So can you provide any link to your story? :loco: The suggestion that teachers would be banned from political protest is pure paranoia probably fed by the green propaganda machine, it would be utterly unenforceable and have no apparent benefit for the KMT.
I think the confusion is: there has long been a ban on teachers striking. Recently the Legislative Yuan has been debating a law which will give some improvements in the right to strike, however according to this law soldiers and teachers are still not allowed to strike, so many teachers are unhappy.[/quote]
Green paranoia machine? Why did the China Post report on it then? Not exactly part of the “Green Paranoia Machine” as you so eloquently put it. :loco:[/quote]
Haha -Green paranoia machine, I like it. :bravo: Unfortunately I only said paranoia fed by the Green propaganda machine. However when I hear Frank Xie claiming that he is not worried if he will stand for President in 2012, but if there will even be an election in 2012, “Green paranoia machine” does seem to a most fitting description.
As for the ban on teachers marching, Charlie Jack already pointed out the news story to me. I am opposed to this proposal, and I hope the law is not passed in this form by the Legislative Yuan.[/quote]
He is not the only one concerned that they will be a free and fair election in 2012.
Thanks for clarifying your position on the proposed ban on teachers marching.