Metropolitan Areas Face Difficulty Hiring Substitute Teachers, Requesting Easing of Re-hiring Limits

(Central News Agency Reporter Chen Chih-chung Hsinchu July 8) Affected by the declining birthrate and industry trends, metropolitan areas are finding it difficult to hire substitute and temporary teachers. At today's National Education Bureau Directors Meeting, Taipei City and Taoyuan City jointly proposed to relax the restrictions on the number of re-hirings. The Ministry of Education, however, is inclined to guide the release of full-time positions.

The Ministry of Education held the 2026 National Education Bureau Directors Meeting in Hsinchu County today. The Taipei City Department of Education and the Taoyuan City Department of Education jointly proposed to amend Article 4 of the "Regulations Governing the Appointment of Part-time, Substitute, and Temporary Teachers in Senior High Schools and Below (hereinafter referred to as the Appointment Regulations)" to relax the re-hiring limit for substitute and temporary teachers who have been appointed for more than 3 months through public selection.

The proposal pointed out that the Appointment Regulations stipulate that re-hiring is limited to a maximum of 2 times, and only in cases of disaster or epidemic can the limit be exceeded with the approval of the competent authority.

However, in recent years, a teacher shortage has emerged. Not only are remote areas finding it difficult to find teachers, but metropolitan areas are also finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable substitute and temporary teachers.

Taipei and Taoyuan proposed that it is difficult to recruit substitute teachers, and the administrative workload is heavy, leading to frequent talent turnover. The re-hiring system can allow schools to retain outstanding talent. They suggested amending the law to relax re-hiring restrictions or add special circumstances not subject to the 2-time limit to maintain flexibility in appointments, increase stability in the teaching field, and protect students' right to education.

The Ministry of Education's written response stated that the current policy is to encourage local governments to reduce the ratio of vacant positions and prioritize the recruitment of full-time teachers. For remote area schools, the re-hiring limit has been appropriately relaxed to balance teaching needs and institutional flexibility.

The Ministry of Education stated that it will continue to track teacher hiring situations in various regions and review the relevant provisions of the Appointment Regulations in a timely manner. It also suggests that local governments strengthen teacher retention mechanisms, such as giving substitute teachers bonus points in full-time teacher selection, enhancing school administrative support systems, and improving the friendliness of the teaching environment, to retain talent for schools. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150708

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