The Ministry of Education yesterday rejected allegations that it had asked local educational bureaus to give children from Chinese spouses’ former marriages preferential treatment when they apply for schools in Taiwan.
Chen Shang-mei (陳尚梅), an official of the ministry’s Mainland Affairs Task Force, confirmed that the ministry did issue an official document on Oct. 2 asking local education agencies to “help children from Chinese spouses’ former marriages with schooling” in Taiwan.
However, Tainan City councilors who have criticized the move had misinterpreted its instructions, Chen said, adding that the children would not be granted any preferential benefits as the councilors alleged.
Tainan City councilors Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), Lin Mei-yen (林美燕), Lee Ching-hsin (李慶信) and Yeh Chun-liang (葉俊良) blasted the ministry on Wednesday, saying the rights of Taiwanese students would be compromised as the children from Chinese spouses’ former marriage would be entitled to admissions to public kindergartens or elementary or junior high schools near their residence under the ministry’s Regulations Governing the Education and Residency of Underaged Children From Chinese Spouses’ Former Marriages (大陸配偶前婚姻未成年子女來台依親就學注意事項).
Citing the document, the councilors said these children from China would also be entitled to bonus points of up to 25 percent of their grades in high school or college entrance examinations in Taiwan, which is a privilege granted to children of outstanding science or technology talent overseas.
Chen said yesterday that the Regulations Governing Entrance for Mainland-Area Peoples to Taiwan (大陸地區人民進入臺灣地區許可辦法), which was amended by the Ministry of the Interior on Aug 12, stipulate that these Chinese offspring from former marriages can apply for schooling in Taiwan in accordance with the Guidelines Governing the Education of Children of Outstanding Overseas Science and Technology Talent (境外優秀科學技術人才子女來臺就學辦法).
The guidelines state that Chinese children need to go through the same process as local students if they were to pursue further education in Taiwan after they graduate from a Taiwanese school.
“They can only apply for study in [middle and senior] high schools or vocational high schools,” Chen said, adding that under current regulations, it would be impossible for Chinese children to enter university in Taiwan unless they have a Taiwanese ID.
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