Kaohsiung Candidate Vows 'Mayor's Hotline' to Block School Interference

Ke Chih-en, a candidate for Kaohsiung mayor, has pledged to create a dedicated "Mayor's Hotline" to combat special privileges and political interference within the city's educational institutions. If elected, Ke stated that the mayor's office would implement a notification mechanism for schools to report any improper interventions in campus disputes. She asserted that schools should be purely educational spaces, free from political bullying or the exploitation of privilege. Ke, currently an education committee legislator, highlighted her alignment with the Kaohsiung City Education Industry Union's demands. These include gradually reducing class sizes, revising teaching hours, lowering student-teacher ratios for special education, streamlining administrative tasks, improving the school affairs meeting mechanism, reducing parent-teacher conflicts, and holding annual education roundtables. Ke stressed her track record, pointing to legislative achievements such as amendments to the Student Counseling Act and increasing counseling staff. She also noted her initiative in the Legislative Yuan for a resolution requiring the Ministry of Education to report on campus safety and teacher rights improvements within three months. Ke reiterated her commitment to upholding educational professionalism, protecting students' right to education, and defending teachers' dignity and campus harmony if she becomes mayor.

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Schools should be pure educational spaces, not excuses for bullying, nor stages for politicians to display privilege.