Draft Bill on Child and Youth Rights Protection Includes Psychological Violence; City/County Education Bureaus Demand Specific Examples

(CNA, reporter Chen Chih-chung, Hsinchu, July 8) Article 72 of the draft amendment to the Child and Youth Rights Protection Act includes psychological violence. At today's meeting of education bureau directors, representatives from multiple cities and counties jointly proposed that the draft's concepts are too abstract and requested specific examples of illegal conduct, warning that otherwise, it would impact teacher-student relationships.

In the "Child and Youth Rights Protection Act" amendment draft proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Article 72 includes "physical violence," "psychological violence," and "improper treatment" within the prohibition clauses, aligning with the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to actively protect children and youth. However, the draft has faced continuous controversy since its release. Teacher groups, in particular, generally believe the draft will increase the responsibilities of teachers and schools, potentially leading to "frivolous lawsuits" and "defensive teaching" where teachers passively protect themselves.

At the 115th National Education Bureau Directors' Meeting held in Hsinchu County today, education bureaus from Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu County, Changhua, Nantou, Pingtung, and Penghu jointly proposed that Article 72's concepts are too abstract and could lead to excessive concerns in educational settings regarding general discipline, counseling, or teacher-student interactions.

Furthermore, Article 72 of the draft removes the clause "depriving or obstructing children and youth from the opportunity to receive compulsory education." County and city governments are concerned that in cases of parental dysfunction, neglect, or even malicious obstruction of schooling, educational authorities will face weakened legal grounds and insufficient enforcement power.

The written response currently provided by the Ministry of Education's K-12 Education Administration indicates that the concerns of local governments and the educational field have been repeatedly expressed during public hearings convened by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in May and June of this year. The Ministry of Education also sent a letter in June of this year, forwarding relevant revision suggestions to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, hoping they will be considered in subsequent legislative revisions. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150708

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