The National Conference on Educational Development organized by the Ministry of Education kicked off yesterday at the National Central Library.
With over 300 participants the two-day conference, which aims to sort out problems resulting from a decade of patchily implemented educational reform, is the largest of its kind to be held since 1994.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村) said in his keynote speech that the conference was focussed on three pivotal topics: increasing education opportunities for minority groups, promoting the quality and effectiveness of higher education and completing the phased 12-year compulsory education program.
These three topics had emerged in discussions with interested groups over the last six months as primary concerns.
"It is unavoidable to deal with these three topics when it comes to education reform," Huang said adding that the ministry would study the preliminary consensus of the conference and used it as a cornerstone of future policy.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) attended the opening of the conference and expressed his gratitude to people who participated in educational reform, especially Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), who chaired the Cabinet's ad hoc Educational Reform Evaluation Committee in 1994, which was the prime mover behind the reform effort.
Chen defended Lee's record in the wake of harsh recent criticism from opposition political parties and social groups.
Chen said the problems that have dogged the reforms were not the fault of either Lee or the committee but were the result of the inept implementation of the recommendations by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Cabinet of the day, led at the time by current KMT chairman and presidential election candidate Lien Chan (連戰).
"It is irresponsible for the old government, which launched the reform, to say that it did not interfere with the ad hoc Educational Reform Evaluation Committee but gave it full authority," Chen said.
He was rebutting a statement by Lien on Friday, claiming that the committee was fully empowered and solely responsible for the ensuing problems.
Chen also said that his government would not shun responsibility for problems caused by educational reform even though many of the problem polices were implemented by the previous KMT government.
"Some people are attempting to provoke conflict on the education issue, which will have a negative impact on educational reform. I hope everyone can put their prejudices to one side for the sake of our children," Chen said.
One of the topics debated yesterday was the feasibility of the 12-year compulsory education program. Nearly 40 experts spoke on the topic. "I do not know whether this conference can work out solutions for educational reform but I think it is a good opportunity for people to voice their opinion," said a senior high school principal from Taichung attending the conference. "It is important for the ministry to carry out its promise of rationalizing the various viewpoints and integrating them into policy."
Huang said the ministry would draw up a five-year plan for educational reform based on the consensus of the conference.
Many social groups were not willing to attend the conference for fear of appearing to endorse policies they opposed, and organized protests outside the library.
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