The National Association of Parents Organization (NAPO) yesterday urged the Executive Yuan to launch a mechanism to communicate directly with civic groups to better understand public expectations for educational reform.
In an open letter to Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), the organization accused the Executive Yuan of giving orders from “high above,” while Executive Yuan officials may not necessarily understand the “real situation” in the nation’s education system. It added that direct dialogue would help Cabinet officials with policymaking.
It also said a number of “controversies” showed that the Ministry of Education could no longer decide the nation’s educational policy on its own because the Executive Yuan tended to step in.
The organization was referring to a recent controversy in which the ministry was accused of backtracking on a verbal promise by Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji (吳清基) in March to grant tuition subsidies to all students at private high schools, vocational high schools and junior colleges.
Earlier this month, the ministry presented a draft proposal offering subsidies to families whose annual income does not exceed NT$600,000 this fall and raising that threshold to NT$900,000 for the next school year, with the Cabinet then changing the policy to provide subsidies to students of families whose average annual income does not exceed NT$900,000, starting this fall.
In March last year, former premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) made a pledge during a question-and-answer session at the legislature to provide such lunchboxes, but it was later revealed that the ministry had not been informed of the policy before Liu’s announcement.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost