School Uniform Embroidered Names Stir Debate 台中7校制服僅男生須繡姓名 人本:違性平法

Taichung City's Education Bureau said that there are 79 schools at the senior high school level and below that require identity information to be embroidered on uniforms. It worries that the policy may lead to human rights violations and personal information leak, suggesting the schools to scrap the requirement.

Students play sports after school. The boys have their full names embroidered on their uniforms, while the girls only have their school ID numbers embroidered. Taichung City’s Education Bureau has found that there are 79 schools at the senior high school level and below that require identity information to be embroidered on uniforms, including seven that specifically require boys' names to be embroidered. Education groups say this may lead to the labeling of male students.

Tseng Fang-yuan, Director, Taichung Office, Humanistic Edu. Foundation: “The subconscious mind will say that males frequently make mistakes so they need to have their numbers embroidered for easy identification. Females are thin and weak, and they need to be protected.”

Education groups say this requirement could violate the privacy rights of male students and gender equality laws. Schools say the ID number requirement has been in place for many years and its purpose is identity confirmation for students in academic settings.

Ke Chiung-hua, Principal, Taichung Municipal Anher Junior High School: “Times change, so we think adjustments can be made so that parents and children can all feel more at ease.”

Student: “I really don't care about this issue.”

Student: “Bad people might memorize your name and where they saw you.”

Students had differing opinions, but generally speaking female students don’t want their identities revealed and most don’t want names to be embroidered. The bureau says it will collect the opinions of parents and students and schools can decide what to do. It will also ask schools to ensure that they're in compliance with gender equality laws.

Yeh Chun-chieh (May 3, 2022), Deputy Director, Education Bureau, Taichung City: “What is the best course of action under the principles of gender equality and protection? We'll let schools decide.”

Ning Hsiang-pao, Assistant Principal, Hong Wen High School: “There will be no embroidery for the incoming 10th graders and 7th graders.”

Some schools have decided to stop embroidering the names of new male students starting in the 2022 academic year. However, they still hope to embroider everyone's school ID numbers.

下課時間同學在操場運動，不過看看制服，男同學清楚繡上姓名，女同學則是只有學號。台中市教育局統計，目前所轄高中以下學校，學生制服須繡姓名的有79校，其中規定男生須繡姓名的有7校，教育團體認為，男同學可能有被標籤化的疑慮。

人本教育基金會台中辦公室主任曾芳苑表示：「這個下意識就會覺得說，男生是很容易犯錯的，所以繡上學號，以便方便管理，女生是很瘦弱的，他們需要受保護的。」

教育團體認為，不僅可能為男同學帶來隱私困擾，也會有違反性平法的疑慮。而校方表示，學號的規定方式，已經進行多年，用意是要提供學生，教學場域的身分確認。

台中市安和國中校長柯瓊華說：「社會環境不一樣，所以我們覺得適時可做些調整，讓孩子、家長也放心一點。」

有男學生表示：「我是不在意這問題啦！」

有女學生則說：「（繡上名字）會有壞人記你的名字，記你在哪裡呀。」男女同學看法不一，但普遍來說，女同學不希望身分曝光，大多不希望繡上名字。

台中市教育局表示，已函請學校，廣納學生及家長意見，經校務會議通過後實施，也會要求各校落實性平法。

台中市教育局副局長葉俊傑說：「就性別平等的原則下，還有保護的情況下，什麼樣的方案最好，我們讓學校來決定。」

弘文高中副校長甯湘寶說：「這屆新的學生進來，高一、國一新生進來就不會再繡了。」

目前包括弘文高中，安和國中等多所學校決議，從111學年度入學的新生，男生不再繡上名字，但還是希望可以依照規定，穿制服繡上學號，加強各校的辨識度。