Several civic groups yesterday urged the government to cancel travel bans keeping students from their right to education, with one group saying that about 3,500 Hong Kongers who were studying in Taiwan remain stranded in the territory due to disease prevention regulations.
As the rates of COVID-19 infection in Hong Kong and Macau have slowed, Taiwan should gradually allow students from there to return to their Taiwanese schools, allowing some to graduate on time, Hong Kong Outlanders told a news conference held at a rally outside the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei.
The Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy and other student groups participated in the rally.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Hong Kong Outlanders said that it conducted an online survey of Hong Kong students who had been studying in Taiwan, but remain trapped in the territory.
Respondents said that the lack of physical participation in practical courses — such as science experiments, sports or internships — was creating a gap in achievement between them and their Taiwanese peers, despite more flexible course selection policies having been adopted.
Other obstacles mentioned included the low quality of online communication, a lack of online courses and inability to access all campus resources needed for a graduate thesis, the group said.
Respondents also said that it is not reasonable for schools to charge them full tuition, given the circumstances, it added.
In response, the Ministry of Education said that it would make an effort to help students trapped overseas return to schools in Taiwan, as long as any actions taken are in line with the Central Epidemic Command Center’s latest border control and disease prevention regulations.
The ministry said it has requested that Taiwanese universities to make preparations to receive students returning from overseas, including standard disease prevention procedures.
“As an open-minded and democratic nation, Taiwan will always welcome students from around the world to come and study,” it added.
Due to a travel ban that the government announced on March 18 to curb the spread of the virus, most foreign nationals are still being denied entry to Taiwan.
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