Comparing children in metropolitan and remote areas, a survey commissioned by the Chinatrust Charity Foundation (CCF) and conducted by the Children’s Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) found there were substantial differences between the two groups not only in their economic situation, but also in resources and confidence levels.
A survey conducted between late September and early October with more than 2,000 valid samples found that more than 33 percent of children in remote areas came from economically disadvantaged families, while the figure for metropolitan areas was 12.9 percent, CCF director Chen Yu-tse (陳玉澤) told a press conference in Taipei yesterday.
Economic disadvantage could lead to a lack of resources and have an impact on education, Chen said.
The survey defines remote areas as mostly towns and villages in the mountains, while metropolitan areas are Taipei, Taichung and Tainan cities, as well as more developed areas in Taipei County, such as Banciao (板橋), Jhonghe (中和), Sanchong (三重), Yonghe (永和), Sinjhuang (新莊) and Lujhou (蘆州) cities.
“For every five kids living in remote areas, there is one who cannot pay for school lunch, school registration, textbooks or study aid books,” Chen said.
“In the cities, only 7.2 percent of children have that problem,” Chen said.
Furthermore, more than 40 percent of children living in remote areas had fewer than 10 books other than textbooks, a number that went down to 10.6 percent in cities.
In remote areas, 20 percent of children could not find anyone to help them with schoolwork because their parents or guardians have to work to support the family, Chen said, adding that the figure in metropolitan areas was 8.1 percent.
Economic difficulties and lack of resources also cause lower self-esteem, Chen said.
“In our survey, we found that more than 50 percent of children in remote areas believe that others live better than themselves, while the percentage is 36.8 percent for kids in cities,” Chen said.
Taiwan Fund for Children and Families deputy executive director Ho Su-chiou (何素秋) said one of the most important tasks the nation should take up was increasing these children’s ability to learn.
“Education can change a lot of things; education is power,” Ho said. “They are not learning well because of a lack of resources and we should give them a hand.”
CWLF executive director Alicia Wang (王育敏) said that because of economic hardship and transportation difficulties, “most children in remote areas of the country have become otaku.”
Otaku is a Japanese term used to describe someone who spends most of their time at home. It has a negative connotation.
“They are otaku not because they stay at home and play on the computer, but because they have to stay home to help out and cannot afford to travel outside their home villages or towns,” Wang said.
“We should help them look around outside their home villages or towns so they can find inspiration,” she said.
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
Renovations on the B3 concourse of Taipei Main Station are to begin on Nov. 1, with travelers advised to use entrances near the Taiwan Railway or high-speed rail platforms or information counter to access the MRT’s Red Line. Construction is to be completed before the end of next year, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said last week. To reduce the impact on travelers, the NT$95 million (US$2.95 million) project is to be completed in four stages, it said. In the first stage, the hall leading to the Blue Line near the art exhibition area is to be closed from Nov. 1 to the end
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS