TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Higher Education Union on Thursday urged the government to strengthen support for private school teachers and staff by improving severance pay and pensions to help ease the impact of declining birth rates.

At a press conference, the union said it has launched a petition to help protect private school employees’ rights, calling on schools to provide severance pay to staff who leave involuntarily, with a minimum of half a month’s salary, per CNA.

Taiwan has around 41,000 private school teachers and staff, including 27,162 working at private universities, representing a significant portion of the country’s teaching workforce.

Lin Po-yi (林柏儀), the union’s director of organization, said some private schools have shifted recruitment responsibilities onto staff, cut benefits and salaries, and forced layoffs to keep operations running.

Under Ministry of Education regulations, only private schools listed as at risk of closure are required to provide severance pay. Lin said that while the ministry has provided subsidies to help schools cover these payments, some institutions have reportedly misused the funds.

He cited a nursing college in Yilan and a closed technical institute in Hualien, where staff were allegedly forced to accept unfair conditions to receive severance pay.

In Taiwan, private school teachers’ pensions equal 12% of their monthly salary, with schools contributing 3.9% and the rest covered by the government and teachers. Lin said this system provides weaker retirement protection for private school staff compared with the 15% offered to public school employees.

Cheang Wai-fong (鄭惠芳), a professor at Chang Gung University, said some private university teachers have been laid off due to school downsizing or closures, leaving many facing unemployment in middle age. She warned that the trend may intensify and urged the government to pass legislation to ensure private school staff’s rights.

The ministry reported the number of new university students this year is under 200,000 and could drop to 173,000 by 2028. According to the Taiwan Private School Employees Union, Taiwan has nearly 100 private universities, but future enrollment will only support about 50 schools, leaving the rest at risk of closure or forced transformation.