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Taipei City stands firm on `ideology-free' texts

Representatives from the Alliance for the Reunification of China protest in front of the Ministry of Education yesterday against Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng's suggested revision of about 5,000 ''improper'' terms related to China in school textbooks. PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES

The Taipei City Government yesterday insisted that it had the final say over textbooks used in its schools, and threatened to ask pan-blue legislators to freeze the Ministry of Education's budget if it fought the city government on the issue.

The ministry said last week that it had invited academics from a civil group called the Taiwan History Association to review the content of school textbooks and consider the possibility of revising about 5,000 "improper" terms. "Cross-strait relations" could be changed to "nation-to-nation relations" and Sun Yat-sen's (孫中山) title as the Republic of China's (ROC) founding father could be removed.

Arguing that local governments have the authority to select and even edit textbooks, Wu Ching-chi (吳清基), director of the Taipei City Government's Department of Education, said yesterday that he and the directors of education departments in Taipei County and Keelung County would refuse to accept the revisions approved by the ministry.

"Political ideology was behind the ministry's move, and Taipei City won't be able to accept that," Wu said at Taipei City Hall.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member, agreed with Wu's remarks during a municipal meeting yesterday morning, and granted Wu full authority to handle the textbook issue.

The KMT last week invited education and history specialists to edit history textbooks from both Taiwanese and global perspectives for use in 18 cities and counties administered by the party.

Wu urged the ministry to respect the authority of local governments concerning school curriculums. He also said if the ministry refused to approve the version it presented, the city government would seek support from pan-blue legislators to freeze the ministry's textbook evaluation budget.

The city government has locked horns with the ministry over the textbook issue since Hau promised to standardize textbooks in the city to "reduce the burden" on middle school students.

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