The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday sparred over comments by Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) wife, Lee Chia-fen (李佳芬), that studying mother tongues in school is a waste of resources.
Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) “is what I speak at home. Why then is it still studied at school?” Lee said on Sunday, adding that the Ministry of Education’s efforts to promote the language are a waste of time and resources.
Her comments echoed remarks last year by Han, the KMT’s presidential candidate, that it was a “waste of time” to include native-language classes in the 12-year national education program.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
The DPP yesterday criticized Lee and Han, saying that they were discriminating against mother tongues.
Han should not place the teaching of native and foreign languages on opposite sides, as learning both would not conflict with each other, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) told a news conference.
DPP Legislator Chen Ying (陳瑩), a Puyuma, said that Taiwan is a nation of diverse cultures and ethnicities, but added that her mother tongue, as well as those of others, is endangered because of the former KMT authoritarian regime’s policy of banning “local dialects” in public.
Photo: CNA
Chen said that her efforts to promote the Aboriginal Language Development Act (原住民族語言發展法) aim to rectify the damage of past government policies.
DPP Legislator Chiang Chieh-an (蔣絜安), a Hakka, called on Han and Lee to stop viewing issues from a “colonial government” vantage point, saying that teaching native and foreign languages at school would preserve Taiwan’s unique diversity of ethnicities and maintain a well-rounded worldview.
Lee should not “worship foreign things” simply because she runs Victoria Academy, a bilingual school in Yunlin County, Chiang said, adding that local and foreign languages are equally important.
Shortly after the DPP’s news conference, Han’s campaign held its own to hit back against the DPP’s criticism, with Han’s campaign office spokeswoman Ho Ting-huan (何庭歡) saying that Han has never said that native-language education is not important, or that it should be banned.
Lee’s comments only highlighted that fragmented learning of a native language at school would inhibit educational efficacy, while learning a language at home is more effective, Ho said.
The foreign-language capabilities of Taiwanese students have for decades lagged behind those of students in Hong Kong and the Philippines, Ho said, adding that future generations will be at a severe disadvantage.
Learning English should be the focus in school, in addition to promoting clubs, activities and a household environment conducive to the learning of mother tongues, she said.
The Han campaign is against radical ideology, discrimination, increased divisiveness between ethnic groups and slander, she added.
Han and Lee have offered more choices for language learning policies, an area in which the Ministry of Education has sadly been lacking since the DPP took power in 2016, Ho said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old