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Class-size referendum nearing goal

Kaohsiung residents may have one more referendum to consider alongside the presidential election in March as a plebiscite proposed by the Kaohsiung Teachers Association (KTA) passed the second legal threshold, the association said yesterday.

KTA executive secretary Jen Huai-ming (任懷鳴) said the association had garnered 55,558 signatures for its proposed referendum on reducing the size of primary and junior high school classes to 25 students by the 2011 school year, down from 35.

The Statute Governing Kaohsiung Referendums (高雄市公民投票自治條例) states that a referendum proposal must gather 54,634 signatures -- representing 5 percent of the city's eligible voters -- in order to be held.

"Everyone in the association was very surprised that we made it [in only two and half months]," Jen said during a telephone interview.

PARENTAL SUPPORT

He said the success was largely thanks to support from parents, adding that the KTA would submit the petition to the Kaohsiung Election Commission today.

By law, the commission should complete its review of the names on the list within 10 days, after which it should send the list to the city's household registration office for further review, which should take no more than 30 days.

The commission should then make a formal announcement of the proposal within 10 days of the review's completion.

The entire review process could be completed within 50 days, which means the referendum could be held alongside the presidential poll, Jen said.

The proposed plebiscite is the first referendum initiated by a civic group rather than a political party.

The association began its campaign in January 2006 and passed the first signature threshold on Oct. 16 last year. At the time, the association had only garnered around 5,600 signatures.

BUREAU OPPOSITION

The city's Education Bureau has voiced opposition to the proposal, saying it would entail an increase in teachers and classrooms that would add NT$6.3 billion (US$194 million) to the city government's expenses.

The bureau has also said the association's goal of 25 children per classroom would eventually be achieved through the declining birth rate.

"In the context of the two major political parties' promotion of politically motivated referendums, this referendum -- launched by the public -- is particularly meaningful," the KTA said in a formal statement.

Hsueh Tsung-huang (薛宗煌), president of the association, said the passage of the second threshold showed the public's strong faith in teachers.

"I think this [the passage] has increased my confidence [in the proposal]," he said.
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