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English-teaching posts are military alternatives

The National Conscription Administration, under the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), is recruiting young men with foreign university degrees to teach English in remote-area schools as part an alternative to military service.

The administration is accepting applications between April 15 and May 10 from military-service-aged men interested in the program.

The English teaching program is a joint project of the ministries of the interior, education and national defense. According to the military training department under the Ministry of Education, teaching English as an alternative to military service began in August 2003.

The past two years were a trial period and were deemed a success. The administration has decided to widely promote the program this year, education officials said.

"Since 2003, there has been approximately 50 conscripted men with bachelor's or master's degrees from overseas institutions who are enrolled in the alternative military service program," an education ministry official surnamed Wu, who did not want to give his full name.

Participants will be sent to elementary schools in remote areas to teach English in government-supported English-language promotion projects.

Both the education and interior ministries said that the program has been well-received.

The program aims to encourage young men who are due to begin military service, or who will graduate this year from a foreign school, to return to Taiwan to fulfill their commitments.

Young men with degrees from foreign schools who wish to apply for alternative military service must submit their applications by May 10.

For men who graduated last year, 14 categories of alternative military service are available. Those with specialized skills may choose to serve in non-combat areas to maximize their potential.

The quota for this year's alternative military service is 4,100, available to men born in 1985 or earlier. Other categories considered alternatives to military service include the police force, fire fighting, social, medical or judicial work, administration, the environment, diplomacy, economics, land measurement, tourism, public administration and athletics.

Up to 500 positions are available for men with foreign degrees: 181 in educational programs, 100 in police programs, 50 in social programs, 46 in the tourism industry, and 23 in economics projects.

More information can be found at http://www.nca.gov.tw.
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