Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) Civic groups called for education reform on a wide range of issues, including attention on special education, a 12-year compulsory education system and deregulation on the sidelines of the National Education Conference in Taipei on Saturday.
The two-day conference at the National Central Library gathered officials, teachers and representatives of civic groups from across the country with the aim of formulating "an education policy that will pave the way for Taiwan's 'golden decade, '" according to Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji.
The conference, which was the first of its kind in 16 years, planned to discuss 10 central themes, including the education system in general, higher education, special education, faculty training, internationalized campuses and education, and lifelong learning.
Across from conference, civic groups gathered to highlight issues related to education.
"Taiwan's education problems will not be solved by a conference, especially one that excludes people who have been working at the front line of education and spend time with students and children every day, " Lu Jen, a professor at Ming Chuan University, told the media in a "civic education conference" that was called by more than a dozen civic organizations.
"Deregulation is key in Taiwan's education reform. Taiwan's food culture has prospered without the government holding a food conference. The same results can happen for education," Lu said.
He called for the government to "take its hands off" education and let institutions develop under a free market concept.
In his opening speech at the conference, President Ma Ying-jeou said there was still a lot of work to do in developing the education system, but added that "Taiwan must have done something right" to allow Taiwanese students to shine in international competitions and continue its impressive technological development.
Ma stated several priorities of his education policy, such as narrowing the financial gap between public and private institutions, increasing student exchanges and improving the quality of vocational education. He also highlighted the importance of making adjustments for Taiwan's low birth rate, which the Council for Economic Planning and Development has projected will be the lowest in the world this year.
Outside the conference, representatives from civic groups voiced their concerns. The implementation of a 12-year compulsory education system should be a priority because the high school enrollment system puts too much pressure on students, said Hsieh Kuo-ching, president of the National Alliance of Parents Organization.
The current compulsory education system, which has been in place since 1968, requires six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school.
"We demand a timetable for implementation, because the discussion of a 12-year compulsory education has been going on for more than a decade but nothing has been done," he said.
Kuo Hsin-mei, president of the Association for Learning Disability in Taiwan, said that special education needs have not been addressed by the government at all, which she said was obvious because there isn't a single agency under the Ministry of Education to handle special education issues.
Khoo Jih-perng, an associate professor at Taipei Municipal University of Education who represents an academic alliance calling for the passage of a bill on childhood education and child care, said Taiwan lacks a preschool education policy.
Khoo said Taiwan needs a policy that integrates education and social welfare resources to tackle the issue of working parents not having enough money for child care and preschool education, especially single-parent families.
Other representatives urged the government to increase the budget for lifelong learning and carry out teacher evaluation at all levels to ensure high-quality education for students.
The conference concludes Sunday. Education Minister Wu said that his ministry would incorporate the results of the conference and that it aimed to release an education white paper by the end of the year as a blueprint for future policy. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc