The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed amendments to the Student Guidance and Counseling Act (學生輔導法), paving the way to increase the number of professional counselors nationwide by 1,011.
It is the first amendment since the act was introduced one decade ago and would usher in changes that are more in line with the needs of students today, Ministry of Education Department of Student Affairs and Special Education Director-General Wu Lin-hui (吳林輝) said yesterday.
Elementary schools would have one counselor for every 20 classes and an additional counselor for every class above 20, Wu said, adding that junior-high schools should assign one counselor to oversee students in 12 classes and additional counselors for classes beyond 12.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The number of counselors assigned to elementary and junior-high schools post-amendment would increase by 603, bringing the total number of counselors at such institutions nationwide to 5,942, he said.
Following the amendment, student counseling offices for all local governments should be staffed with one professional counselor per 20 schools and one extra counselor should be hired for every 4,500 to 5,000 students, Wu said.
Local governments should also approve additional counseling staff quotas above the maximum staff ratio of 6 percent for schools, which would increase school counseling staff by 192 people nationwide, or a 30 percent increase, he said.
Meanwhile, counseling staff-to-student ratios at junior colleges, colleges and vocational schools would also improve from one counselor to 1,200 students to one counselor to 900 students, Wu added.
The change is expected to result in the hiring of an additional 216 people, he said.
The amendment fleshed out student counseling operations for junior-high and elementary schools, allowing counseling offices to be staffed by professionals and enhancing their functions, Wu said.
Counseling offices should prioritize the rights of young people and children when mediating between different entities, he said, adding that the amendment would encourage counselors to work together and seek further studies in their fields.
The amendment would also require schools to emphasize the professionalism of those heading counseling offices, Wu said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) yesterday said that pressure on students has been the cause of increased rates of student suicides or violence against others.
Fan said she has worked with the Taiwan Counseling Psychologist Union, the Taiwan Guidance and Counseling Association and the Taiwan Counseling Psychology Association to create an amendment centered on student welfare.
She also thanked the Humanistic Education Foundation and the EdYouth group for their input, which allowed the amendment to increase the wages of professional counselors.
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