TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A crowd of almost 1,000 people gathered outside New Taipei City Hall on Sunday (June 18) to protest and demand accountability and transparency from the local government after reports of teachers at a preschool in Banqiao District drugged students.
The rally was organized by the Taiwan Children’s Rights Association, with a crowd comprised of mostly parents with children, reported LTN. The theme of the event was “Protecting our Children’s Future Together,” with parents expressing their dissatisfaction with recent news and calling on the local government to focus more on safeguarding children.
Many participants could be seen holding signs with messages such as “Don’t drug our children,” in reference to the case of teachers in Banqiao charged with giving sedatives to preschool students in their care. Participants were asked to wear white and there were activities planned with children in mind, such as balloon art.
New Power Party Legislator Wang Wan-yu (王婉諭) joined the day’s event and expressed her hope that through activities like Sunday’s protest, the entire country will pay more attention to protecting children and ensure incidents of child abuse can be curtailed. She said that “regardless of political party, ensuring the safe development of our children is a serious matter,” as quoted by UDN.
A petition was circulating online, which parents at the rally endorsed. The petition calls on the New Taipei government to introduce more robust legislation on child abuse that will severely punish perpetrators and create more government oversight of educational institutions for children, especially for privately run businesses, reported LTN.
After recent news reports that eight children were drugged by teachers at their kindergarten, and in response to calls from parents, the New Taipei government said it will conduct a comprehensive review of all preschools and kindergartens in the city. It will review management and training procedures to ensure all institutions meet regulatory standards, with fines and other penalties possible for those found to be in violation.
