The recent passage of an anti-bullying law will greatly increase the number of counselors stationed in schools around the island. But many teachers worry the new measure may not produce the intended effect, since the counselors have not been sufficiently empowered by the law to restrain the bullies on campus.

This student has been ordered to face the wall and reflect on his behavior as punishment for striking an instructor after being told he was causing too much ruckus in the hallway.

In another instance at a middle school in Taoyuan County, a male instructor ended up on the receiving end of physical violence when he tried to break up a fight between a group of students.

At a Taipei City faculty conference, a study conducted by elementary, middle, and high school instructors has found that 91% have received backlash when disciplining students.

96% of the faculty also agree that lack of rules and corporal punishment have allowed a situation of students' bad behavior and violence to get out of hand.

Many school instructors are saying that in countering student disrespect and violence towards teachers, there needs to be adequate authority and disciplining measures.

As a result, they are hoping that the MOE can quickly implement a student guidance provision that was discussed back in 2004.

According to MOE officials, teachers possess the authority to discipline students with current supportive measures and guidance regulations already stipulate under what certain situations must teachers take control and which measures are allowed.

The student guidance provision draft has been sitting inactive with the MOE for six years and many public hearings have been held over it.

According to the MOE, should school instructors find that the provisions measures concerning student disciplining to be inadequate, they may take up this issue with the central government and elicit more instructor feedback to push the new provision through.