Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, the start of the new semester for schools up to senior high has been delayed, but some parents have accused the authorities of a ham-fisted response.
While a disease outbreak leaves the government with no option but to extend the winter vacation, the lack of comprehensive complementary measures leaves room for improvement.
The government announced this delay so that schools could take thorough precautions against the disease, and to set parents’ minds at rest, but there are still four things that it must do as soon as possible.
First, it must provide sufficient disease-prevention supplies. Although clinical treatment in Taiwan is on a par with other advanced countries, it has beem slow to supply disease-prevention materials. There is currently a shortage of masks, especially for children, as well as alcohol and forehead thermometers.
The government is good at gentle persuasion, but not so good at effective measures. How can schools effectively prevent diseases without adequate supplies? The central authorities should quickly provide these materials to local governments to pass them on to schools before they reopen.
Second, everything possible must be done to block disease-prevention loopholes. With the start of classes delayed, parents who are worried that their children’s studies would be interrupted might send them to cram schools, whose closed spaces are hotbeds for the virus to spread.
Similarly, private kindergartens are exempt from the delayed start. All private kindergarten classes should be suspended, while local governments should regulate cram schools and after-school classes. Local authorities should convene meetings with private-school operators and inspect their facilities to make sure they implement disease-prevention measures.
Third, the authorities should formulate complementary measures. Delaying the start of classes disrupts schools’ entire operations. Their calendars need to be adjusted and activities rescheduled. While the semester has been delayed for two weeks, the timetable for matriculation exams remains unchanged.
Word has it that the scope of exam questions would be reduced, but no clear announcement has yet been made. This means that teachers would have to rush through their courses, while students would have less time to prepare. The central authorities must speed up their efforts to address this issue and announce a plan as early as possible to facilitate schools’ arrangements and allow students time to study with peace of mind.
Fourth, the government must build digital e-learning systems. Epidemiologists think that the COVID-19 outbreak is still on the rise. If the epidemic does not slow down by the scheduled start of the new semester, the suspension of classes is likely to be extended.
That would have a negative impact on teaching, so the government must prepare beforehand.
A number of small organizations have already established e-learning platforms, both synchronous and asynchronous, that can overcome spatial limitations to deliver real instruction. Central authorities should collaborate with these platforms. They could also encourage schools to team up to promote remote live colearning, thus preparing them if and when the need arises.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) posted a message on Facebook calling on the public to join hands to fight the epidemic and safeguard children’s health.
The government must act firmly and promptly to extend and perfect a range of measures before classes start, and the public must work in unison to block the spread of this virus and safeguard the nation’s future.
Wen Shun-te is a senior-high school principal.
Translated by Julian Clegg
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under