Taiwanese Teacher Unions Oppose Expanded Role for Foreign Instructors

A coalition of nine teacher unions in Taiwan has jointly opposed the Ministry of Education's proposed amendments to regulations governing the hiring of foreign teachers. The unions specifically object to allowing foreign teachers to instruct in non-language subjects such as life skills, arts, physical education, and health at primary and secondary schools.

Union representatives argue that this expansion could dilute the professional standards of teaching, instrumentalize arts and crafts courses, and compromise the primary role of local education. They expressed concerns that the move might negatively impact the core principles and autonomy of Taiwanese education.

In response, the Ministry of Education issued a statement clarifying that foreign teachers will be hired as supplementary staff, meaning they will not be the primary instructors. The ministry emphasized that local teachers will remain the main educators, and the new policy will not affect the number of positions or the rights of domestic teachers. The revision aims to align with the "Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals" and enhance Taiwan's bilingual education goals by 2025, increasing students' English proficiency and broadening access to diverse teaching expertise.

The ministry further explained that foreign teachers will be hired through an "additional quota" system and will collaborate with local teachers on lesson preparation and professional development. They must possess relevant professional qualifications and, for language teaching, their native language should be the official or common language of their passport country. The ministry stressed that these foreign teachers are expected to assist in teaching and training, not to teach independently, thereby ensuring that local teachers continue to form the backbone of the education system.

“

Foreign teachers are supplementary staff and cannot teach independently. Domestic teachers remain the main body of teaching, which does not affect the number of domestic teachers or their rights.