Although the first day of the annual Joint College Entrance Examination (JCEE) went as scheduled throughout the nation yesterday, one student ended up nervously waiting at home listening to weather forecasts.
Lin Wen-ping (
Lin is currently waiting to see if weather conditions will improve so that he can be flown to take the exams today and tomorrow.
Various College Entrance Examination Center (CEEC) officials spoke yesterday about Lin's situation, reiterating Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng's (
"If exam takers cannot get to testing centers on time -- or at all -- because of disaster conditions, they can certainly apply to take a make-up test. However, they must have proof of their situation to apply," said CEEC vice president Lee Chung-yuan (
Lin's situation is a result of his decision to go to his home in Lanyu, instead of staying in Taitung, after his high school graduation.
Lin, who is a Yami Aborigine with no family in Taitung, is from a low-income household.
He went home to save money, Lanyu township administrative office representatives said. Before Typhoon Mindulle threw a wrench into his plans, Lin was planning to fly back to Taitung a couple of days before the exams, since Lanyu does not have a testing station. Planes were fully-booked in the days prior to the exam, and Lin was put on hold for flights leaving the island before Mindulle hit and all flights were canceled.
Thanks to intervention by the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) and the Lanyu Township Administration office, the Ministry of Education became aware of Lin's predicament and announced on Wednesday night that the CEEC would make an exception to its strict policy and hold a make-up examination for Lin.
Township representatives said Lin is happy about being able to take a make-up examination, but nervous and frustrated about the situation and the media attention.
"He's a good kid, and his family has pretty high expectations for his college exam results. We just hope that he can do well despite all of this [attention]," said Chen Li-hua (
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