Negotiation, not supervision
After reading Hsu Yu-min’s letter about parents’ rights to supervise their children (Letters, Oct. 28, page 8), I, as an assistant professor who needs to guide students with their learning activities, have a different take on the issue.
There is certainly a new conflict of interests between parents and their children. Parents pay for their children’s tuition and would be informed of their academic performance. However, students would like to gain full autonomy and freedom without having to report to their parents because they have been granted full citizenship over the age of 18. Both parents and children must take full responsibility.
Parents do not have to take control of their children’s performance by demanding to look at their academic reports. They have to respect their children’s right to privacy. Thus, I recommend that parents learn to control their emotions to improve their communications skills so that their children would have more willingness to discuss matters related to their studies if needed. Second, parents must use efficient negotiation skills to help their children solve any problems related to the payment of their education and other administrative matters.
When children agree to enter university, they should take full responsibility to go to class regularly, complete their assignments on time and fulfill their promise to graduate. Children should communicate with their parents when they ask reasonable questions regarding their studies. As parents have invested a large sum of money for their children’s study, it is the parents’ rights to ask questions to be informed about their children’s schooling situation. Nevertheless, children should provide a reasonable excuse if they do not want to provide information to their parents.
Thus, the job of parenting is not an easy one as their children have gained awareness about their rights. There is no discussion needed when everything goes smoothly. Parents and children only need serious discussions when problems crop up. It is thus imperative that both parents and children develop good communication skills to solve problems efficiently. That way, children would agree to provide relevant information to their parents regarding their academic performance.
David Blasco
New Taipei City
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
For years, the use of insecure smart home appliances and other Internet-connected devices has resulted in personal data leaks. Many smart devices require users’ location, contact details or access to cameras and microphones to set up, which expose people’s personal information, but are unnecessary to use the product. As a result, data breaches and security incidents continue to emerge worldwide through smartphone apps, smart speakers, TVs, air fryers and robot vacuums. Last week, another major data breach was added to the list: Mars Hydro, a Chinese company that makes Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as LED grow lights and the
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
RSS