TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Yu Zuo (余佐), a Chinese language teacher in Kaohsiung, resigned after a parent complained that a history lesson had introduced politics into the classroom.
FTV News reported Sunday that Yu was teaching a social studies class when he taught World War II-era and postwar history related to Taiwan’s land reform policies, including rent reduction, public land sales, and land-to-the-tiller measures. Yu said the material followed curriculum requirements and was necessary for understanding Taiwan’s modern history.
A parent later called to question Yu about why he included discussion of Taiwan’s authoritarian period in the lesson and warned a complaint would be filed with education authorities, according to EBC News. Yu said the content was historical education rather than political advocacy. “The Act on Promoting Transitional Justice” defines Taiwan’s authoritarian period as spanning from Aug. 15, 1945, to Nov. 6, 1992.
Yu said the parent continued to threaten a complaint during the call, which escalated into a heated argument. He said the ongoing pressure and uncertainty over a possible investigation ultimately led him to resign.
Colleagues later voiced support, saying such topics are increasingly difficult to teach under the fear of complaints. “The anonymous complaint system makes it hard for teachers to defend themselves and has weakened morale,” Yu said, per Yahoo News.
The case sparked widespread discussion online, with many users defending the teacher and saying history should be taught as history. Commenters said land reform is standard textbook content and warned that excessive complaints could undermine history education, per ETtoday.
On Jan. 25, more than 1,000 teachers protested outside the education ministry over complaint and disciplinary rules. The protest was organized by the National Federation of Teachers Unions, which called the current system overly punitive.
The union said existing rules allow anonymous complaints and internal investigations that can easily be abused. Protesters said the system harms teaching and the dignity of educators.
