The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday said it hoped the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) could offer discount tickets to junior high and primary school students as well as to parents and teachers as part of the nation’s plans to revive the sagging baseball industry.
Wang Chun-chuan (王俊權), director of the ministry’s Department of Physical Education, said that part of the nation’s plan to revitalize the baseball industry was to organize field trips for junior high and primary students to watch professional games.
“The Department of Elementary Education is in the process of amending guidelines governing teaching outside the campus,” Wang said. “The amendment will add visits to sports facilities, watching sports games and other athletic performances to the guidelines. Then schools will have a legal basis to take students to watch professional baseball games.”
Wang made the statement at a public hearing yesterday hosted by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Shu-huey (陳淑慧).
Chen said that so far this year, professional baseball games had attracted an average of 3,288 viewers, down 25 percent from last year.
Chen proposed that the Sports Affairs Council and the ministry work out a plan that makes watching professional baseball games part of the physical education curriculum. She said that not only would the measure encourage more students to watch ball games but it would also raise ticket sales.
Wang said the ministry was planning to give each school NT$20,000 (US$634) a year to fund student attendance at baseball games, adding that schools must apply for the funds.
“The ministry also requires schools to equip students with a basic knowledge of the game before they go to watch it, such as the equipment needed to play,” he said.
As games are mostly held in the evening and student safety may be an issue, Wang said that the MOE hoped that both parents and teachers could accompany the students to games and urged the CPBL to offer them discounted tickets.
Because not every county in the nation has a baseball stadium, Wang said that the measure could be implemented first in counties that have baseball stadiums nearby.
CPBL secretary-general Wayne Lee (李文彬) said that the league had offered 1,000 free outfield tickets for each game. Students can get the tickets by presenting their student ID.
For infield tickets, high school and primary school students will get a 50 percent discount. They will get further discounts if they come in groups, Lee said.
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