Many principals of elementary and junior high schools in Chiayi, Tainan and Nantou County have retired this year with reasons of career planning, yet educators say teaching environments are making it difficult for principals to run their schools. They also say education competitiveness will decrease if conditions keep worsening.

Liberty Times reports, educators say low fertility has brought teachers great concerns and stress. Along with the government reducing related welfare for teachers, many principals aging from 50 to 55 years old have decided to take early retirement.

Xue Chun-guang, president of the Secondary and Elementary School Principals Association of R.O.C points out, principals today have responsibilities but no authority. Working in increasingly unfriendly teaching environments, they have to face long working hours and extreme pressure while bearing the achievements and failures of their schools.

Junior high school principal Chen Qi-non says in an article on UDN that the lack of concern in the leadership of schools implicates the education field is losing morale. Teachers who have not yet reached the retirement age may become passive and conservative, which might impair the quality of education.

Translated by June
Edited by Olivia Yang

Sources:
Liberty Times
Chen Qi-non
Secondary and Elementary School Principals Association of R.O.C