Teacher Law Amendment on Compensation for Unjust Cases Passes Third Reading, Teacher Groups Still Hope for Full Salary Reimbursement

(Central News Agency reporter Chen Chih-chung, Taipei, 17th) The Legislative Yuan today passed the third reading of amendments to the Teacher Law, establishing compensation clauses for unjust cases. Teachers cleared of wrongdoing after an investigation by the school affairs committee will be reimbursed for their basic salary and academic research allowance during their suspension. However, teacher groups still hope for "full salary reimbursement," such as the reimbursement of self-funded substitute teacher fees. In the past, if a teacher was investigated and not dismissed or permanently suspended, and was reinstated, they would only receive their basic salary, which was about half of their total salary. Education groups and legislators believed that this practice caused teachers to suffer adverse treatment during "involuntary work stoppage," receiving only part of their salary. The Legislative Yuan today passed the third reading of Articles 25 and 53 of the "Teacher Law" amendments, stipulating that teachers who are temporarily suspended for investigation and then reinstated will be reimbursed for their basic salary and academic research allowance (instead of just the basic salary) during the suspension period, effective from the date of promulgation. The Ministry of Education later stated in a press release that research allowances are a fixed salary component for teachers, and the amendment will help maintain their basic living needs. The Ministry will continue to monitor the implementation of the amended system to ensure that students' right to education and teachers' right to work are protected. Hou Chun-liang, president of the National Federation of Teachers' Unions, expressed gratitude to the Legislative Yuan and the Executive Yuan in a press release for addressing the injustice of the current system and jointly completing this "important puzzle" to protect teachers' rights. The National Federation of Teachers' Unions stated that although the economic penalty under campus abuse of process has been initially resolved, there are still gaps. For example, some teachers who are suspended must bear the cost of substitute teachers themselves, which is also a cost arising from "involuntary suspension" and should be fully borne by the competent authority. The National Federation of Teachers' Unions also called for no negative annotations to be retained in teachers' attendance records during the suspension period after reinstatement, to avoid becoming invisible obstacles for future transfers, evaluations, or selections. Teachers may suffer immense public pressure and stigmatization during investigations, causing irreversible harm. The National Federation of Teachers' Unions advocates for a more proactive and formal mechanism for reputation restoration and compensation for cases where no evidence is found, rather than just reimbursing salaries. (Editor: Lee Shu-hua) 1150417