Taiwan teachers’ union protests frivolous complaints

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The National Federation of Teachers’ Unions held a press conference in Taipei urging the Ministry of Education to review the teacher complaint system, which it says permits excessive, frivolous complaints against educators.

The union said the current mechanism allows anonymous complaints and lets schools investigate cases directly as well as convene campus disciplinary meetings. NFTU argued this creates an unfair burden on teachers, forcing them to defend against petty or baseless allegations.

Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) has pledged to reform the system by year’s end, acknowledging that the framework enables anonymous and frivolous complaints that can harm teachers’ reputations and morale. NFTU welcomed his commitment but said reforms cannot come soon enough.

The union called for a return to the previous complaint system, which did not allow anonymous reports. It also urged that cases not involving dismissal or contract termination be handled through performance evaluation procedures rather than disciplinary meetings.

In mid-October, Cheng told lawmakers that amendments would aim to limit the use of campus disciplinary meetings and ensure only complaints against “unsuitable teachers” are pursued. Before reforms take effect, he instructed schools to focus only on cases serious enough to warrant dismissal or non-renewal.

NFTU President Hou Chun-liang (侯俊良) said that from 2024 to 2025, 769 complaints were filed, with 511 investigated directly by schools and 258 reviewed by disciplinary meetings. Only 26 cases resulted in suspension, indicating most complaints were unfounded or did not meet the threshold for disciplinary action, he said.

Hou added that investigating a large number of minor cases consumes administrative resources and damages classroom trust. He said teachers are becoming overly defensive, affecting teaching quality, and called for an end to school-led investigations of minor offenses.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Li-hua (伍麗華) said she has received numerous petitions from both teachers and parents and hopes the reforms will create a more balanced and stable environment. She added that teachers cleared of wrongdoing should have their reputations restored, receive full pay, and be protected from repeated complaints.

DPP Legislator Kuo Yu-ching (郭昱晴) said the ministry’s proposed amendments would limit the number of cases pursued and return the process to principles of proportionality and professionalism.