A potential solution to the great divide between the Ministry of Education and the student protesters occupying the ministry to protest against controversial high-school curriculum guidelines might be in the making, as former National Taichung First Senior High School dean Tsai Ping-kun (蔡炳坤) attempted to mediate a deal yesterday.
Consensus was reached at 10pm last night that Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) would meet with representatives of the student protesters this afternoon to attempt to reconcile their differences.
Chu Chen (朱震), convener of the Northern Taiwan Anti-Curriculum Changes Alliance, said that he, alliance spokesman Wang Pin-chen (王品蓁), four other student members and Taichung First Senior High School student Liao Chung-lun (廖崇倫), former spokesman of the Apple Tree Commune student club, which started the debate against the controversial curriculum guideline adjustments, would attend the meeting. Three teachers are also to accompany them to the meeting.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
According to Ministry of Education Secretary-General Wang Chun-chuan (王俊權) the meeting could be transmitted live online and the ministry would arrange a news conference afterward.
A number of protesters, mainly high-school students, entered the ministry compound early on Friday during a demonstration against the controversial high-school textbook guideline adjustments, which went into effect on Saturday. The student occupation of the plaza inside the ministry gates yesterday surpassed 60 hours.
The students have demanded that Wu resign, that the implementation of the new guidelines be halted and an extra legislative session to review the changes.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
A number of civic groups yesterday afternoon staged a march around the perimeter of the building in support of the students.
Earlier yesterday, the presidents of five private universities called for the students to withdraw as soon as possible and begin a rational dialogue with the ministry.
Samuel Chang (張光正), of Chung Yuan Christian University, read the announcement at a news conference, saying the group understood the objectives of the students’ protest and approved of their ideals, but condemned any unlawful and disorderly activity, and hoped the issue could be discussed in a rational manner.
The group of university presidents also said they were apprehensive the radical approaches of some students might set a bad example, expressing concern the issue could make Taiwanese society more confrontational and impair the nation’s competitiveness in the future. They called on the ministry to invite professionals, experts and student representatives to build a dialogue and find a solution, while urging the students to end their protest and withdraw from the premises.
The statement was signed by Chang and his counterparts at Tatung University, Chinese Culture University, Shih Chien University and the Taipei-based China University of Technology, as well as 10 academics.
In response, the student protesters released their own statement, saying: “We all want to return to our normal lives, but [they] should return normal textbook guidelines to us first.”
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
The WHO ignored early COVID-19 warnings from Taiwan, US Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said on Friday, as part of justification for Washington withdrawing from the global health body. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said that the US was pulling out of the UN agency, as it failed to fulfill its responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO “ignored early COVID warnings from Taiwan in 2019 by pretending Taiwan did not exist, O’Neill wrote on X on Friday, Taiwan time. “It ignored rigorous science and promoted lockdowns.” The US will “continue international coordination on infectious
RSS