In the wake of a student assault on a teacher at a junior high school in Taichung that left the teacher seriously injured, the National Federation of Teachers Unions (NFTU) on Wednesday urged authorities to quickly address gaps in the system and ensure schools provide a safe environment for learning.

The incident occurred when a teacher asked a male student who was wandering around her classroom to take a seat. The student, who has difficulty regulating his emotions, became agitated and struck the teacher in the face with a broken broom handle. The teacher’s injuries were such that she could lose her sight. 

Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said he has asked the local education bureau to provide full assistance with any legal matters or other issues the teacher may face in the future.

Per NFTU Chair Yeh Chin-chi (葉青芪), incidents of students attacking teachers have increased in recent years, and teaching conditions have become so challenging that they can no longer address the problems through professional expertise alone. The NFTU’s five demands include providing support staff alongside the implementation of inclusive education for students with and without special educational needs; establishing behavioral risk and crisis response plans; setting up spaces for emotional regulation and regional crisis support teams; strengthening cross-agency cooperation and shared family responsibility; and improving protections for teachers injured while performing their duties.

Chair of the NFTU’s Special Education Committee Hsieh Chung-Han (謝宗翰) suggested that special education centers in each city and county should have operational teams that can actually step in and assist teachers. He said that while special needs students should not be considered dangerous, foreseeable risks should nevertheless be the government’s responsibility to manage.

Taichung City Teachers' Union Chair Chang Yung-ching (張永青) further stressed that there should be a single dedicated point of contact to help injured teachers handle medical care, psychological support, legal assistance, occupational injury claims, compensation, and other matters.