Aborigines are still performing poorly in school despite the country's progress toward becoming a modern society, Abo-riginal scholars said yesterday.
"Aside from problems such as the high dropout rate among Aboriginal pupils at elementary and junior high schools, the number of Aboriginal students pursuing higher education remains low as well," said Kao Cheng-Hsiung (高正雄), a member of the Paiwan tribe and president of the Machia Junior High School in Pintung County.
Kao made the comments yesterday at the Aboriginal School Principals Forum, which was attended by more than 50 Aboriginal elementary and junior high-school principals from across the nation.
According to statistics cited by Kao, Aborigines, who make up about 1.7 percent of Taiwan's population, constituted only 0.41 percent of new undergraduate students last year, 0.09 percent of students enrolling on master's degree courses and 0.02 percent of those enrolling for doctoral programs.
In addition, statistics from the Council of Aboriginal Affairs of the Executive Yuan show that the dropout rate for Aboriginal elementary school students was 0.22 percent and that for Aboriginal junior high students was 2.67 percent, figures that are four times the national average.
"Being on the front line, you are the most qualified people to review and come up with ideas and suggestions to improve Aboriginal education," Wu Ching (吳京), former minister of education, told the forum.
Among the other topics discussed were how to encourage Aboriginal students to be interested in their studies, cultivate their potential, strengthen Aboriginal families' belief in education, involve parents in their children's schooling and set up lifelong learning opportunities in Aboriginal districts.
"We must ensure that every Aboriginal student is armed with the skills and knowledge to compete and survive in this increasingly high-tech, internationalized society," Wu Ching said.
Meanwhile, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said yesterday that the government would incorporate Aboriginal languages into school curricula and establish institutes of Aboriginal ethnology in universities.
RSS