Education groups yesterday called on President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to put a higher-ranking government agency in charge of pushing the 12-year compulsory education plan to ensure that the project becomes reality.
Ma announced in his New Year’s Day message on Saturday that the government would begin the phased implementation of a 12-year compulsory education system this year, starting with -vocational high schools.
The plan would allow students to attend high school and vocational high school for free by the 2014 academic year. By 2014, Ma said, students enrolling in high schools or vocational high schools would no longer have to pay tuition fees and the majority would no longer need to take entrance exams to get in.
According to Vice Minister of Education Lin Tsung-ming (林聰明), those who enter junior high schools in August this year will be the first students to benefit from the 12-year compulsory education system that will be in place by 2014.
That means that when they enter senior high schools in 2014, tuition will be free. They will only have to pay NT$1,800 in public school fees and NT$4,600 in private schools.
National Teachers Association (NTA) chairman Liu Chin-hsu (劉欽緒) yesterday urged the Ma administration to designate a government branch above the Ministry of Education to oversee execution of the plan.
Liu said the government agency should have the authority to coordinate between and give directions to different branches, adding that the agency should report directly to the president.
The ministry, Liu said, did not have such powers. Liu added that Ma should keep his promise to make the extension a reality.
The National Alliance of Parents Organizations, meanwhile, lauded Ma for making the announcement, but urged the ministry to take a serious look at how to effectively help junior high school students choose the right high school or vocational high school.
Local education reform activists have long called on the government to make high school or vocational high school education compulsory.
The government has been deliberating on the possibility of a 12-year compulsory education system since 1983. However, the little progress that was made was hampered by lack of financial resources.
Civic groups estimate that full implementation of a 12-year compulsory education system would cost the government about NT$20 billion (US$687.3 million).
Where the government can get the money has become the biggest worry. If the government cannot revise laws to ensure its finances, the intentions of the program could be compromised.
NTA secretary-general Kevin Wu (吳忠泰) said he was concerned about whether the government could afford the system under existing budgets.
To this end, the government should consider amending budget-related laws and regularly increase budgets for education, Wu said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said that if Ma really intends to push for a 12-year national education system, he must ask the Legislative Yuan to revise related laws to ensure sufficient funding rather than a “blank check” to help his bid for re-election.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
RSS