The draft of the "Protection of Education Funding Law" was nailed down at a Cabinet meeting yesterday, and while no specific amount of money was guaranteed for education funding, its annual growth rate is not be lower than that of total governmental funding. Meanwhile, consensus was reached that an additional NT$35.5 billion in educational funding would be assured for the next fiscal year.
Under the restrained financial circumstances, educational funding is so far one of the very few categories that gained consent for an increase. Also, yesterday's decision was the second explicit gesture made within a week by the new government to upgrade the educational and research environment in Taiwan.
The first pledge was announced on July 3 when President Chen Shui-bian (
"Today's agreement was achieved after thorough discussion and negotiation among administrative branches ? Though [I am] not completely satisfied [with the result], it is an acceptable proposal, because the increase [NT$ 35.5 billion] offered is, after all, more than the originally proposed NT$20 billion," said Minister of Education Ovid Tzeng (曾志朗).
Tzeng told the media after the meeting that he had tried his utmost to safeguard the education budget and had used an admonition made by Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (
On July 4, Lee said at a meeting attended by members of the Academia Sinica that Taiwan's standing in the world should not be evaluated by its wealth and national forces, but by the quality and wisdom of its people. Lee stressed that education should be considered a country's long-term investment, the quality of which should not be affected for any reason and funding for which should be protected by designating a fixed sum or proportion of the budget.
Tzeng said though Lee's suggestion had not been completely adopted, he was willing to accept the conclusion reached that education funding should be expanded and that its growth rate should be no less than that of the total governmental budget.
The government's policy on funding for education has been of concern to educators since a stipulation in the Constitution was removed in 1997 requiring that 15 percent of the GNP be budgeted for education, scientific research and cultural affairs.
Since taking the reins of power on May 20, Tzeng and educational groups have lobbied for an increase in funding to six percent of GNP, from the current level of 4.93 percent.
However, the proposal has failed to gain approval from the Cabinet on the grounds that the treasury could not afford it.
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