Following the radical campaign of changing the names of Taiwan's state-owned enterprises, the Cabinet's 12-year compulsory education plan was proposed. Aside from that incredible "innovation," DPP activists also put relocating the national capital on their agenda.
Are the people here really ready for this type of massive social reform?
Education has always been the top priority in any developed country because the economy and society depend on well-educated citizens. On the other hand, countries with poor education systems do not fare well in today's world.
As mentioned in the Taipei Times, the Cabinet's 12-year compulsory education plan became a public relations nightmare because most parents not only doubt the fairness of diversifying school admissions criteria, but are also concerned about the increasing stress placed on young students.
Upon learning that the Basic Competence Test may be abolished, Taipei restauranteur Juno Tseng (
Tseng made the remarks because her two elementary school-aged daughters will likely enter high school after the test is abolished.
The introduction of structural mathematics here serves as a good example to remind us that every step the government takes will influence whether students learn well or not. Structural mathematics was introduced to replace the traditional method of learning math in order to decrease pressure on students by focusing on logical understanding instead of rote learning.
The rush to teach structural mathematics has not served to reduce student burdens.
According to the statistics released by Kon Wen Educational Foundation, the percentage of seventh-grade students attending cram schools has increased 30 percent since 1992.
If the government really has a justifiable reason for carrying out the Cabinet's 12-year compulsory education plan and has created a proper blueprint for the education of the nation's younger generations, the nation will continue to prosper.
If not, however, our children's future will be sacrificed to the cause of radical, poorly thought-out education reform.
If the government and Ministry of Education have not carefully considered all the implications of the 12-year plan, I urge all involved to slow down the pace of reform and seriously ponder what type of education will best serve the interests of our country.
Willow Tsai
Taipei
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