The inclusion of mandatory “national language” courses in junior-high schools would not affect the number of class sessions dedicated to existing mandatory subjects, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday.
“National language” is currently a mandatory course in elementary schools and an elective in junior-high schools.
However, after the Legislative Yuan passed the Development of National Languages Act (國家語言發展法) in December 2018, such classes are to become mandatory in all stages of compulsory education starting with the 2022- 2023 school year.
Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times
The act defines “national languages” as “the natural languages and sign languages used by the different ethnic groups in Taiwan.”
The National Academy for Educational Research (NAER) has proposed draft revisions to the General Curriculum Guidelines for 12-Year Basic Education, and the ministry is holding curriculum review committee meetings to review the proposed amendments, the ministry said in a statement.
The NAER proposals incorporate “national languages” into the mandatory curriculum without affecting the number of class sessions for other mandatory courses, the ministry said.
The proposed revisions would add one “national language” session per week in junior-high schools, and reduce the number of sessions for classes developed by the schools themselves, it said.
Media reports that the proposed amendments would affect the number of hours spent teaching other languages in junior-high schools were not true, it said.
Four members of the committee’s junior-high subcommittee resigned last week to protest the NAER’s proposal to make “national language” lessons mandatory for all three years.
The subcommittee had proposed making “national languages” mandatory for the first year, and flexible in the second and third years, sources said.
A third proposal would make “national languages” mandatory in the first and second years, and flexible in the third, the sources said.
Some committee members’ terms end on Nov. 24, and the committee would be reformed to continue reviewing the proposals, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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