TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) raised concerns on Thursday (Jan. 22) about an education group employing unqualified staff in 18 kindergartens across New Taipei City and Taoyuan City. Lin highlighted repeated violations and fines, including 50 instances of misconduct toward children within 4 days by an employee, and urged a thorough investigation and the suspension of new admissions.
Lin emphasized that the group faced almost annual penalties from 2020 to 2025 for employing staff without the necessary qualifications, yet failed to address the issue. Surveillance footage from August to October last year showed an employee surnamed Tseng (曾) engaging in inappropriate actions, such as pulling, pushing, and hitting children, toward at least five young students. The New Taipei Education Department fined the kindergarten NT$30,000, but only provided edited footage and a summary report, leaving parents unaware of the full extent of their children's experiences.
A parent, Ms. Tsai (蔡), reported that her child exhibited abnormal behavior, including skin-picking, finger-biting, and extreme fear reactions after enrolling in August 2024. By July 2025, the child refused to attend school, revealing that the teacher had instructed them not to tell their mother about being hit. Ms. Tsai called for the government to enforce evaluations and inspections and for the school to acknowledge its mistakes.
After receiving a new report on Tuesday (Jan. 20), the New Taipei Education Department dispatched inspectors on Wednesday (Jan. 21). They pledged to take strict action against confirmed violations under the Early Childhood Education and Care Act (幼兒教育及照顧法). The department assured parents they could access relevant footage while balancing privacy concerns for other children.