TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A branch of a well-known preschool chain in New Taipei City has had its license revoked and one of its teachers banned from preschool education for life after she was captured on video repeatedly abusing her students.
A teacher at a preschool, which is located in New Taipei City's Linkou District, is suspected by parents of using improper discipline on an estimated 12 children, reported SET News. She was suspected of shoving them in the head, slapping them, and making some stand as punishment during lunch.
Parents informed New Taipei City Councilor Tsai Shu-chün (蔡淑君) about the situation and after conducting an investigation, the New Taipei City Government Education Bureau confirmed the alleged abuses.
(New Taipei City Police Department screenshot)
The teacher involved in the case has been suspended and listed as an unqualified instructor. Because the preschool failed to fulfill its supervision and management responsibilities, it has been ordered to stop enrolling students and its license has been revoked in accordance with the law.
A child of the first parent to be alerted to the abuses no longer wanted to go to school, claiming that the teacher beat students. When the guardian asked the parents of the child's classmates, they also reported that the teacher was engaging in abusive behavior.
(New Taipei City Police Department screenshot)
Parents then asked the preschool to check the surveillance camera footage to confirm whether the teacher had been acting inappropriately. However, the school said that it needed to apply for permission to view the footage and that it would take more than half a month.
Worried that the footage would be deleted, the parents asked Tsai for assistance and then notified the Education Bureau. Police then seized the hard drive for the surveillance cameras.
(New Taipei City Police Department screenshot)
The parents alleged that the teacher had used a lot of improper discipline methods, such as making them stand during lunch, shoving students in the head, slapping them, and even taking the sleeping bag away while a child was still sleeping, causing them to bump their head on the floor. The camera also captured the teacher dragging a child by the collar while still on the ground.
Parents also said that the preschool should be held responsible for the abuses, in addition to the teacher.
(New Taipei City Police Department screenshot)
On April 28, the Education Bureau stated that it received a complaint from the public that a private preschool in Linkou District had suspected incidents of mistreatment of young children. Through surveillance camera footage, many incidents of improper discipline were found.
The bureau commenced an investigation, confirmed that abuses had occurred, and sanctioned the teacher for breaching the Statute for Preschool Educators (教保服務人員條例). The employee was barred from serving as a preschool teacher for life.
In addition, the teacher faces up to NT$600,000 fines, while the preschool will be subject to a maximum fine of as much as NT$60,000.
