Halloween celebrates death
The pagan feast of Halloween is foreign to Christian tradition and has become a superstitious and empty way of imposing mindless triviality.
The day has its origin in the Celtic New Year which celebrated the return of the spirits of the dead to their homes. Hence, those who observe Halloween, though they are probably ignorant of what they are doing and why they are doing it, are in reality celebrating death, the devil and Hell.
The observance of Halloween is mixed with Christian festivities whose meanings are totally contrary to Halloween.
On Nov. 1, Christians celebrate belief in the communion of the saints. On Nov. 2, we make visits to the cemetery as a religious and profoundly human gesture, inspired by the hope in the resurrection.
I encourage Christians to celebrate the Christian truths of these days with renewed faith as a response to the real concerns of mankind today.
TIM STOREY
London
Higher education and reform
There may have been excitement over National Taiwan University ranking 95th in this year’s World University Rankings, but Taiwan’s higher education system still has serious challenges that must be addressed. The most important issue is the establishment of a “merging or exit mechanism” for private universities.
According to a Taipei Times report (“Ministry preparing to help shutter some universities,” Oct. 13, page 2), some privately run higher education institutions will have suffered a total enrollment shortfall of 71,000 by 2021 if the total number of students continues to decline.
There are various reasons for some private universities to make preparations to exit the education market, such as the low birth rate and the fact that there are too many universities and technology institutes. The Ministry of Education should set standard operating procedures to assist those schools that are forced to shut down.
The ministry should regulate the universities by transforming them into continuing education centers or legal foundations. In the meantime, the ministry should also endeavor to enhance the quality of higher education. In contrast with Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, the quality of higher education in Taiwan is still less competitive.
In order to foster the abilities of university students, the education system should be reformed using pragmatic and innovative measures.
For instance, supporting academic research, pursuing academic exchanges with other countries and improving English proficiency are effective methods.
In conclusion, the quality of higher education is the key factor for empowering our college students to brace for the global challenges of this competitive age.
CLAIRE WU
Taipei
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