The Ministry of Education will encourage the opening of more schools for Taiwanese businesspeople's children in China, or having them study on Kinmen Island, according to Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (
Huang made the remarks after having paid a visit to Kinmen on Wednesday, where he inspected the situation regarding such children going to school there. Huang was accompanied by senior ministry officials and various lawmakers.
According to Huang, his ministry is supportive of the establishment of more schools for Taiwan businesspeople's children in China. Otherwise, they can consider receiving education on Kinmen.
Huang made the proposal given the fact that only about 10 percent of businesspeople's school-age children based in southeastern China are able to enroll in local elementary and junior schools set up especially for them.
Kinmen County Education Bureau Chief Lu Chih-hui (盧志輝) briefed Huang and his entourage, reporting that a total of 42 children of Taiwanese businesspeople from Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian Province are studying in Kinmen now -- 10 in elementary schools, 16 in junior-high schools and eight each at senior-high schools and vocational schools.
Lu said Kinmen's schools can accept more businesspeople's children from China.
Kinmen County has in recent years earmarked more than NT$10 million (US$300,000) to build and refurbish student residences, Lu said, adding that its primary schools and junior-high schools can take at least 2,000 students and 1,000 students, respectively.
Lu stressed that Taiwanese businesspeople's children studying in Kinmen will be given the same privileges as local students, ranging from free insurance, books, transport and education fees to subsidized housing.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Cheng Jhen-long (程振隆) said only 1,500 out of about 15,000 Taiwanese children in the Dongguan and Shanghai areas are accepted by the special schools for Taiwan businesspeople's children.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS