Article 1   

This Act is specially enacted to develop teachers for schools at the senior high school level and below, as well as kindergartens, to augment the supply of teachers and advance their professional expertise.

Article 2

Teacher education shall emphasize developing teaching competencies and a spirit of professionalism, thus strengthening understanding of democracy and the rule of law, as well as life and moral development.

Article 3  

Terms referred to in this Act are defined as follows:

1. Competent authority: the Ministry of Education (MOE) at the central government level, the respective municipal government at the municipal level, and the respective county/city government at the county/city level;

2. Teacher education university: a teacher training college, a normal university, a university with a department or departments relating to teacher education, or a teacher education center; and

3. Pre-service teacher education courses: the relevant courses to be taken in accordance with this Act before undergoing teacher certification.

Article 4

The central competent authority shall establish a teacher education review committee to manage the following matters:

1. Recommendations and consultation regarding a teacher education policy;

2. Reviewing planning and important development projects regarding teacher education;

3. Reviewing changes to the status or discontinuation of teacher training colleges and normal universities;

4. Reviewing the recognition of teacher education-related departments;

5. Reviewing the establishment of teacher education centers by universities;

6. Reviewing professional courses in education for teacher education;

7. Reviewing the standards for recognizing the completion of pre-service teacher education courses based on academic qualifications from overseas;

8. Reviewing teacher education evaluations and guidance; and

9. Other review matters related to teacher education.

The members of the committee referred to in the preceding paragraph shall include representatives from the central competent authority and teacher education universities, as well as teachers and impartial members of society; furthermore, regulations governing the establishment of the committee shall be prescribed by the central competent authority.

Article 5

Teacher education shall be carried out by teacher training colleges, normal universities, universities with teacher education-related departments or teacher education centers.

Such departments referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be identified by the central competent authority.

Universities establishing teacher education centers shall require approval from the central competent authority. Regulations governing the conditions and procedures for the establishment of such centers, as well as teacher qualifications, facilities, student recruitment, curricula, term of study, and discontinuation thereof shall be prescribed by the central competent authority.

Article 6

Teacher education universities offering pre-service teacher education courses shall determine the course plans in accordance with teaching subject areas for secondary schools, elementary schools, kindergartens, and special education schools (or classes), and submit the plans to the central competent authority for approval before implementation.

To meet instructional demands, the teaching subject areas for secondary schools and elementary schools may, under the procedures in the preceding paragraph, be planned in combination as joint elementary-secondary school teaching subject areas.

Article 7

Teacher education includes pre-service teacher education and teacher certification.

Pre-service teacher education curricula cover the following: ordinary courses, specialized courses, professional courses in education and seminars.

Teacher education universities shall draft plans for the specialized courses referred to in the preceding paragraph and submit them to the central competent authority for approval.

The professional courses in education referred to in paragraph 2 include a common curriculum that crosses teaching subject boundaries and courses in specific teaching subject areas. Such courses shall be reviewed by both the teacher education review committee and the central competent authority prior to implementation.

Article 8

The term of study for students taking pre-service teacher education courses shall be four years in principle, including the student's studies in his or her major department, plus an additional half-year for the seminar. A student with outstanding performance may graduate early as provided in the University Act, but the term of the half-year education seminar cannot be reduced.

Article 9

The admission requirements and terms of study for students in departments relating to teacher education of universities shall be as provided in the University Act.

Universities with teacher education centers may screen and select sophomore and junior undergraduates and postgraduates of master and doctoral programs for enrollment in pre-service teacher education courses.

A university offering teacher education programs may, recruit university graduates to enroll in at least one year of pre-service teacher education courses plus an additional half-year education seminar based upon its actual needs and after obtaining approval from the central competent authority.

Students referred to in the preceding three paragraphs who complete the required pre-service teacher education courses with satisfactory performance shall be issued a certificate of completion of pre-service teacher education by the teacher education university.

Article 10

A person with a bachelor degree or higher from a foreign university who has been identified by the central competent authority as having completed the ordinary courses, specialized courses, and professional courses in education prescribed in paragraph 2 of Article 7 may apply to a teacher education university for the half-year seminar. Such a person with satisfactory performance shall be issued a certificate of completion of pre-service teacher education by the teacher education university.

Standards for recognition prescribed in the preceding paragraph shall be stipulated by the central competent authority.

Article 11

A person who has graduated from university and obtained a certificate of completion of pre-service teacher education under paragraph 4 of Article 9 or paragraph 1 of the preceding article shall be issued a teacher certificate by the central competent authority after passing teacher certification.

The central competent authority shall prescribe regulations governing the qualifications required for teacher certification under the preceding paragraph, the procedures for registration, documents and materials required to be submitted, fees required to be paid, methods for certification review, times, admission standards, and other matters for compliance.

A person who has already obtained a teaching certificate in one of the subject areas referred to in Article 6, upon completing the ordinary curriculum, specialized courses, and education concentration courses of a pre-service education program in another subject area and obtaining a certificate, shall be issued a teaching certificate for that subject area by the central competent authority, without being duly required to undergo an education seminar or teacher certification review.

Article 12

The central competent authority in charge of handling teacher certification shall establish a teacher certification committee and may trust schools or relevant offices (or institutions) to handle such matters if necessary.

Article 13

Enrollees in teacher education programs shall be required in principle to pay tuition and fees, but government scholarships and grants shall also be provided. Students with government scholarships shall be required to do service in schools in remote or special districts after graduation.

The central competent authority shall prescribe regulations governing quotas for government scholarships and grants, limits on the duration of receipt of government scholarships by students receiving such scholarships, content required to be stipulated in contracts, performance and compliance obligations, handling in the case of default, and distribution of service assignments.

Article 14

With the exception of government scholarship students, who shall be given service assignments in accordance with the preceding paragraph, individuals who have obtained teaching certificates and wish to enter teaching posts shall take part in the open screening and selection of teachers held by schools or kindergartens corresponding to the certification status that they have obtained.

Article 15

A university offering teacher education programs shall have a seminar and employment placement service unit to provide services related to education seminars, job placement for graduates, and assistance services to local schools.

Assistance services to local schools as referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be jointly provided through the concerted efforts of the competent authorities at all levels, teacher in-service training institutions, and schools or kindergartens.

Article 16

Schools at the senior high school level and below, kindergartens, and special education schools (or classes) shall hold full-time education seminars in cooperation with teacher education universities. The competent authorities shall supervise matters related to education seminars and provide any necessary funding and assistance.

Article 17

Teacher education universities may establish affiliated laboratory schools, kindergartens, or special education schools (or classes), in the same teaching subject areas that they offer for the purposes of education seminars, experimentation, and research.

Article 18

The categories of fees that teacher education universities collect from students, and the purposes and amounts thereof, shall not go beyond the scope determined by the central competent authority, and shall be submitted to the central competent authority for approval before implementation.

Article 19

The competent authority may provide in-service training for teachers of schools at the senior high school level and below and kindergarten teachers by the following methods:

1. Establish teacher in-service training institutions individually or jointly;

2. Coordinate with or engage teacher education universities to establish various kinds of in-service training courses for teachers; and

3. Have social education institutions or legal entities approved by the competent authority hold various kinds of in-service teacher training courses.

Teacher education universities referred to in subparagraph 2 of the preceding paragraph may establish units responsible exclusively for in-service teacher training.

Regulations governing approvals under subparagraph 3 of paragraph 1 shall be prescribed by the central competent authority.

Article 20

For students who previously qualified and studied at teacher training colleges or normal universities in accordance with the Normal Education Law before the enforcement of the amendments to this Act on 9 February 1994, the formerly implemented provisions relevant to these matters shall apply to obtaining a teacher certification and teaching post placement.

The previously relevant provisions implemented may apply to obtaining teacher certification for those who have completed teacher education courses prior to the enforcement of the amendments to this Act within a period of six years from the enforcement date of the amendments to this Act thereby. However, those meeting the provisions of Articles 32 or 33 of the Regulations Governing Teacher Certification and Education Internships at the Senior Secondary School and Lower and Kindergarten Levels as amended and effective on 29 June 2001 may be subject to the previously implemented provisions thereof within a period of two years from the enforcement date of the amendments to this Act.

Obtaining teacher certification for students who had enrolled in but not yet graduated from teacher education courses prior to enforcement of the amendments to this Act may be subject to the provisions of Articles 8 and 11 thereby, or the previously implemented provisions may apply within 10 years from the enforcement date of the amendments to this Act. However, those meeting the provisions of Articles 32 or 33 of the Regulations Governing Teacher Certification and Education Internships at the Senior Secondary School and Lower and Kindergarten Levels as amended and effective on 29 June 2001 may be subject to the provisions of said former regulations within six years from the enforcement date of the amendments to this Act.

Article 21

Regular substitute teachers in specialized two-year universities’ in-service education programs who attended pre-service teacher education courses prior to the 2000 academic year and have obtained certificates of intern status by passing initial teacher certification may be subject to the provisions of Articles 32 and 33 of the Regulations Governing Teacher Certification and Education Internships at the Senior Secondary School and Lower and Kindergarten Levels as amended and effective on 29 June 2001; furthermore, said previously implemented provisions shall apply for a period of four years from the enforcement date of the amendments to this Act.

Substitute and acting teachers engaged pursuant to the Rules Governing Employment of Primary and Secondary School Substitute Teachers meeting the following circumstances may be exempt from an education seminar and therefore can be issued a teacher certificate in respective aspects of expertise by the central competent authority as qualifying teacher certification reviews:

1. Teachers that have taught the same subjects for at least one academic year in the most recent seven years or at least three consecutive months each year with the total not less than one calendar year.

2. College graduates that have successfully completed pre-service teacher education’s ordinary, specialized and professional curricula and obtained a certificate.

3. Teachers having papers issued by the schools at which they teach, proving that they have undergone practical training in teaching, running a class, and managing administrative affairs and those that possess professional skills and knowledge in conducting studying activities.

The above rules shall apply from the enforcement date of the amendments to this Act on July 31, 2007.

Article 22

Within three years from the enforcement of the amendments to this Act, the central competent authority, in coordination with teacher education universities, shall hold professional courses in education on a special-project basis as in-service continuing education for teachers who have obtained a Certificate for Teaching in Remote or Special Districts and have continued their teaching service.

Teachers who have completed the professional courses in education in a remote or special district under the preceding paragraph may apply to the competent authority for issuance of a teaching certificate for ordinary districts without being required to undergo certification review or to take part in an education seminar.

A teacher who has obtained a Certificate for Teaching in Remote or Special Districts and has served in a teaching position(s) for a cumulative five years or more is not required to take such courses as referred to in paragraph 1 and may apply to the competent authority for issuance of a teaching certificate for ordinary districts without being required to undergo certification review or to take part in an education seminar.

Article 23

Within six years from the enforcement of the amendments to this Act, the central competent authority, in coordination with teacher education universities, shall hold pre-service teacher education courses on a special-project basis, such as in-service continuing education for nursing instructors currently employed by a senior secondary school before the enforcement of the amendments to this Act who are university graduates with nursing instructor certificates issued by the central competent authority, and have continued their teaching service.

A nursing instructor referred to in the preceding paragraph who has completed the required pre-service teacher education courses may satisfy the education seminar by having performed two years of teaching service and may be subject to the previously implemented provisions in order to obtain a teaching certificate.

The provisions of the preceding two paragraphs shall apply mutatis mutandis to nursing instructors currently employed by a junior college, college, or university before the enforcement of the amendments to this Act who are university graduates with nursing instructor certificates issued by the central competent authority and have continued their teaching service.

Article 24

For personnel employed by kindergartens or nursery schools before enforcement of the amendments to this Act with ongoing engagement of service, the central competent authority shall exclusively prescribe regulations governing such matters as the qualifications required of such persons, the courses that they are required to take to qualify to serve as teachers, and the recruitment of students for such courses.

Article 25

The enforcement rules to this Act shall be prescribed by the central competent authority.

Article 26

This Act shall become effective from the date of promulgation.

The date of enforcement of any amendment to any article of this Act shall be determined by an order of the Executive Yuan.