To ensure the sustainable inheritance of indigenous languages and cultures, the Ministry of Education last year implemented a policy to make indigenous language courses mandatory in junior-high schools.
Nonetheless, a lack of teachers became a challenge for school administrations, so the K-12 Education Administration implemented the Live Study Program to solve the problem. The program includes digital materials, equipment, testing, assignment submissions and interaction through social media.
The program is a viable solution and it benefits schools across the nation, including rural schools.
I was the principal of a school in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) that had more than 30 classes.
At that time, ministry regulations said that a course must be offered even if only one student had signed up for it. In one case, there was a single student who had enrolled in the Atayal-language course. I put in a lot of effort to find a teacher certified to teach the course before the semester started.
Urban schools have had difficulty finding teachers for indigenous-language courses, so it is likely to be more difficult at rural schools, especially in remote areas.
While teacher shortages are a common obstacle for indigenous-language courses, the Live Study Program not only solves the long-term problem of teacher shortages, but also breaks through when it comes to obtaining learning material.
It is the best of both worlds.
Tsai Jr-keng is a retired elementary-school principal.
Translated by Chien Yan-ru
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