A dozen teachers from daycare centers nationwide yesterday said that a recently revised law violates their employment rights and urged the government to revise the regulation.
Under the new law, qualified teachers applying for work at a center that cares for children under the age of six are required to take the same tests as jobseekers with no experience, Alliance of Educare Trade Unions convener Wang Su-ying (王淑英) told a press conference.
“This puts an unnecessary burden on experienced, hardworking teachers because they need to take time off from work to prepare for exams,” she said, accompanied by legislators.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
“You cannot grade patience and love,” Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Hui-chen (江惠貞) said.
Chiang, who was responsible for local daycare center affairs when she headed the Banciao District Government, said that qualified teachers should be accorded certain privileges when taking tests.
According to the Childcare and Preschool Education Act (公立幼兒園契約進用人員之進用考核及待遇辦法), which took effect on Jan. 1, all daycare centers and kindergartens that accept children between the ages of two and six are designated “preschools.”
Teachers who wish to work at a preschool need to pass exams held by the local government. A grace period of one or two years has been given for schools to adjust to the new requirement.
“A good teacher needs a good working environment,” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) said.
Allowances should be made for those who are already doing a good job looking after children, Lin said, proposing an amendment to the law to ease the concerns of daycare centers and parents.
The Council of Labor Affairs issued a press statement in response to the daycare teachers’ demands.
The employment rights of preschool staff are stipulated in the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), which forbids an employer from laying off employees without legal grounds, the statement said.
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