Controversy Over School Affairs Committees: Chang-Liao Wan-Chien Assures Teachers No Need to Fear Justified Discipline

(CNA reporter Lin Jing-yin, Taipei, June 15) — Controversies over excessive litigation in schools continue, sparking debate on the retention or abolition of school affairs committees. Deputy Minister of Education Chang-Liao Wan-Chien stated today that the Ministry of Education is continuously adjusting the school affairs committee system, supporting legal frameworks for teacher management and counseling, exploring the feasibility of third-party investigation mechanisms, and strengthening teacher support systems and legal assistance. Teachers, he emphasized, do not need to fear carrying out justified discipline toward students.

This morning, the Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee held a public hearing on the 'Regulations for Dismissal, Non-renewal, Suspension, or Dismissal of Teachers in Senior High Schools and Below' and the 'Performance Evaluation Regulations for Public Senior High Schools and Below'.

Chang-Liao Wan-Chien stated that the Ministry revised relevant laws on January 12 this year, eliminating anonymous reporting, introducing a case triage mechanism, and adding provisions allowing the participation of assistants, while simultaneously strengthening supporting measures.

He noted that four months after the new system's implementation, from January to April this year, the Ministry received 202 complaint cases, of which 45 (22%) proceeded to school affairs committee investigations. In contrast, during the same period in 2025 (Year 114 of the ROC calendar), there were 448 complaints, with 366 (82%) entering committee investigations. Both the total number of complaints and those entering school affairs committees have significantly decreased.

Regarding non-accepted cases, he said that in the same period of 2025, 82 out of 448 complaints (18%) were not accepted, while from January to April this year, 66 out of 202 cases (33%) were not accepted, indicating a rising rejection rate.

Chang-Liao pointed out that data clearly show a significant drop in the proportion of cases entering school affairs committee investigations due to improved intake assessment and case triage mechanisms. The Ministry will continue collecting data, monitoring the system’s actual operation, and evaluating the effectiveness of supporting measures to inform future policy reviews and improvements.

Chang Yung-ching, director of the National Association of Teachers' Unions (NATU), said that since the implementation of the school affairs committee system, an 'investigate first, blame first' culture has gradually formed in educational settings. Current regulations lack deterrents against malicious or repetitive complaints from parents. He suggested referencing international practices: parents confirmed to have made malicious or repeated complaints should be required to undergo parental education programs. For malicious false accusations, reasonable countermeasures should be established to protect teachers’ rights and establish equitable accountability.

NATU President Yeh Ching-chi believes that when teachers face complaints and investigations for normal classroom management, counseling, discipline, or parent-teacher interactions, a culture of 'replacing communication with complaints' easily emerges. When teachers begin to prioritize 'how to avoid complaints' over 'how to educate students,' defensive teaching has become the norm in schools.

Lin Hui-jung, chair of the National Education Industry Workers' Union, stated that despite multiple amendments by the Ministry in recent years to dismissal regulations, the problem of abusive litigation remains unresolved. This has led to heavy administrative burdens on schools and teachers’ reluctance to serve as homeroom teachers or take on administrative roles. She urged the Ministry to abolish the school affairs committee system, revert to evaluation committees, promote the enactment of a Teacher Rights Protection Act, elevate school guidelines on student counseling and discipline to legal status, establish a separate law for teacher dismissal procedures, and create systems to prevent malicious complaints and teacher bullying—ensuring professional dignity and normal school operations.

Peng Shu-yan, advisory chair of the Alliance of Parent Organizations, said she believes most teachers are benefactors to children, but oversight mechanisms are still needed for unfit educators. Cases of teacher-to-student bullying still occur, and such issues are often uncovered thanks to school affairs committees providing a complaint channel. While a small number of 'dinosaur parents' exist, abolishing the committee would cut off a vital support channel for vulnerable children. Until a better appeals mechanism is in place, the school affairs committee must not be abolished.

Hsu Chu-lung, chair of the National Parent Volunteer Education Alliance, pointed out that the vast majority of parental complaints stem from 'wanting the best for their children,' not from hostility toward teachers. Therefore, the relief mechanism of school affairs committees remains necessary. While many education groups claim parental complaints are cost-free, filing a complaint requires taking leave, attending multiple school visits, and participating in investigations. He suggested establishing a more robust front-end mediation mechanism to facilitate early parent-teacher communication and coordination, reducing conflicts and resolving issues at an early stage. (Editors: Lin Ko-lun, Wan Shu-chang) 1150615