生育政策對中學女性教師生育決策之影響

Abstract

我國婦女總生育率於1984年開始低於維持穩定人口結構的人口替代水準2.1人，2003年還出現超低生育率，低於1.3人；出生嬰兒數從1980年代31萬至41萬人，降至2022年14萬人，由此可以看出，我國少子化問題日益嚴峻，對我國發展影響甚鉅，堪稱國安問題。 在這波少子化潮流中教育受到最大影響，而中學女性教師在社會當中常被認為具有寒暑假、穩定工時、高薪資、教育專業等特性，而被認為是最佳照顧者，然而卻可能面臨工作、家庭雙重壓力、處理親子衝突等狀況，而降低其生育意願，因此本次研究從傳統文化與習俗、女性自主意識、個人經濟與家庭條件等面向，並輔以台北市與台南市共7位中學女性教師之深度訪談，涵蓋已婚已育、已婚未育與未婚未育等不同婚育狀況，了解影響其生育意願之原因。 此外我國政府亦制定相關生育政策，本次研究將以婚育政策、生育補助、兒童照顧支持三大面向，分析7位中學女性教師對此政策之看法，是否與現實狀況產生落差，缺乏對女性實際需求的理解與支持，如育嬰假補助金額是否足以應付實際育兒開銷、托育機構資源是否足夠，然而多數受訪者表示，在現今高房價、物價與工作壓力之下，該補助金額與實際育兒花費相比，具有相當大的落差，因而難以成為促進生育的誘因。 綜合本次研究，可看出我國生育政策在設計與實施上，未能有效回應中學女性教師在婚育決策過程中所面臨的多重困境，因此期許政府未來可以落實托育資源普及、加強政策宣導與資訊傳遞，並給予教育現場中女性專業人員所面對的隱性負擔給予更多理解與支持，方能真正促進婚育意願，緩解少子化問題。

Taiwan’s total fertility rate has been below the population replacement level of 2.1 since 1984 and fell into the ultra-low fertility category—below 1.3—by 2003. The number of newborns, which ranged from 310,000 to 410,000 in the 1980s, dropped to 140,000 by 2022. This drastic decline in births signifies an increasingly severe low birthrate issue, posing significant challenges to national development and even constituting a national security concern. Among the various sectors affected by this demographic shift, education is one of the most impacted. Female secondary school teachers are often perceived by society as ideal caregivers due to their stable working hours, summer and winter breaks, competitive salaries, and educational expertise. However, these women frequently face the dual pressures of work and family, as well as the challenges of parent-child conflicts, which may reduce their willingness to have children. This study explores the fertility intentions of female secondary school teachers through the lenses of traditional cultural norms, women's autonomy, and individual economic and family conditions. It is supported by in-depth interviews with seven female secondary school teachers in Taipei and Tainan, representing a range of marital and fertility statuses—including married with children, married without children, and unmarried without children. In addition, this study examines Taiwan’s fertility-related policies in three major areas: marriage and childbirth policies, childbirth subsidies, and childcare support systems. It analyzes the perspectives of the interviewed teachers on whether these policies adequately address their real needs. Many respondents indicated that, in the context of high housing prices, rising living costs, and job-related stress, the current subsidies fall far short of actual childrearing expenses, limiting the effectiveness of these policies in encouraging fertility. Overall, the findings reveal that Taiwan’s fertility policies fail to effectively respond to the complex challenges faced by female secondary school teachers during their decision-making processes around marriage and childbirth. The study calls for the government to improve the accessibility of childcare resources, enhance policy communication, and provide better understanding and support for the hidden burdens faced by professional women in education. Only through such measures can fertility intentions be genuinely promoted, thereby helping to mitigate the low birthrate crisis.