The Ministry of Education’s curriculum review committee yesterday voted to reduce the proportion of classical Chinese content in senior-high school curricula to between 35 percent and 45 percent.
The decision followed a meeting earlier yesterday, in which the committee voted to abolish a conclusion reached on Sept. 10 to set the proportion at between 45 and 55 percent.
Other proposals at the Sept. 10 meeting included the elimination of classical Chinese from curriculum guidelines; leaving the decision to teachers; decreasing the proportion to between 40 and 50 percent or 30 and 40 percent; and setting the content level at 30 percent.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
However, as no consensus could be reached, the committee at that meeting had opted for a proportion of 45 to 55 percent suggested by a National Academy for Educational Research committee.
That decision sparked criticism from high-school teachers and lawmakers, who said the procedures for the meeting were seriously flawed.
The current ratio of classical Chinese materials included in senior-high school curriculum guidelines is between 55 percent and 65 percent.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The meeting yesterday morning, attended by 43 of 48 committee members, passed the motion to abolish the Sept. 10 decision 30-5.
In the afternoon session, at which only 42 members were present, the committee voted on the various proposals.
Of the six proposals voted on separately, the one to reduce the ratio to between 35 and 45 percent received 33 votes, followed by the proposal to reduce the ratio to between 40 percent and 50 percent with 15 votes.
As each member can vote three times, a runoff was held between those two proposals, with the plan to reduce the ration to between 35 and 45 percent receiving the most votes, the committee said.
The proposed change, which is expected to take effect in 2019, has elicited heated reactions from educators and the public.
Academics and students in favor of a greater reduction to the ratio have said the rote memorization of classical Chinese poetry fails to help students understand their significance, while excluding other forms of literature.
Those in favor of maintaining the ratio have argued that much of today’s spoken language is derived from ancient literature, so it would not be good if people used only plain language without knowledge of the classics.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
COUNTERING THE PLA: While the US should reinforce its relations with partners and allies, Taiwan must invest in strengthening its defenses as well, Phillip Davidson said If influence in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the US’ core interests, then Taiwan serves as a cornerstone of US economic and security influence in the region, former US Indo-Pacific Command commander admiral Phillip Davidson said on Thursday. “China’s ... strategy is to supplant the US leadership role in the international order ... and they’ve long said ... that they intend to do that by 2050,” Davidson told the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington. Davidson said he had previously told US Senate hearings on China’s military activities and possible threats in the Indo-Pacific region that a Chinese invasion of
RSS