New Taipei City Holds Handover Ceremony for New and Retiring School and Kindergarten Principals for the 115th Academic Year; Mayor Hou Encourages Progress with the Times and Staying True to One's Educational Mission

The New Taipei City Government held a handover ceremony today (31st) for newly appointed and retiring school principals and kindergarten directors for the 115th academic year. New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-ih attended the event, expressing gratitude to retiring principals and directors for their long-standing dedication to the education sector. He encouraged newly appointed, transferred, and reappointed principals and directors to uphold their educational初心, advance with the times, and embrace innovation, fostering excellent talent based on moral education and adaptive development.

This year, 97 school principals and 4 kindergarten directors have completed the transition of their educational mission. This includes 21 retiring principals/directors, 37 reappointed, 21 transferred, and 22 newly appointed. Mayor Hou, reflecting on his 16 years of service in New Taipei City, shared how he has witnessed many principals begin their careers as frontline teachers, accompanying generations of children through their growth. He expressed deep appreciation for the selfless contributions of retiring principals and directors, who have helped create a high-quality learning environment for New Taipei’s students.

Mayor Hou emphasized that education must evolve with the times. In an era of rapid change, principals carry the mission of leading school development. He urged reappointed principals to not only implement moral education and adaptive development but also deepen international education and AI education.

Additionally, drawing from his experience as former president of the Police College, he encouraged new principals to embrace new challenges with passion, always prioritizing student well-being. He urged principals to actively encourage and support students, so that every child can grow happily and courageously pursue their dreams within the school environment.

The Education Bureau stated that as the 115th academic year begins, New Taipei City will continue to strengthen moral education as its foundation, deepen smart education, and enhance teacher support measures. Six key initiatives will be advanced: reducing homeroom teachers’ teaching hours, providing lunch supervision fees for elementary and junior high schools, increasing teacher staffing, lowering class sizes in elementary schools, offering psychological counseling for teachers, and implementing an administrative incentive system. These measures aim to empower principals’ professional leadership and ensure teachers can teach with peace of mind.