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Teachers deliver plea for renovation of old schools

The government should make a concerted effort to renovate rundown school buildings because school campuses are an integral part of a community, a group of teachers said yesterday at an exhibition highlighting 12 school grounds that were recently renovated.

National Teachers' Association president Wu Chung-tai (吳忠泰) said that the condition of school buildings around the nation was an excellent indicator of how much the government invested in education.

"If the government has enough money to renovate old villages and preserve old buildings, then why not make an effort to upgrade school buildings as well?" he said.

If the government was serious about providing a top-notch learning environment to provide for the nation's future, then it should stop paying lip service and "really use [taxpayers'] money where it matters the most," he said.

Chiang Wen-lung (江文隆), director of the association's public affairs department, said that the government would not have to shoulder the financial burden of an entire campus upgrade project, because local communities were likely to make significant contributions.

"A school-wide makeover is usually the combined effort of the parents, teachers, local residents, architects, construction workers and students. A campus upgrading project is one of the best ways to achieve community solidarity," he said.

In the past, schools were surrounded with tall walls and fences, he said, but now, most schools adopt a welcoming atmosphere and place an emphasis on environmental and cultural preservation.
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