More than 100 students, parents, teachers and workers yesterday demonstrated outside the Ministry of Education, protesting against the ministry’s plan to institutionalize college tuition fee adjustments and the cancellation of a public hearing on the issue.
“No to tuition increases,” “Withdraw the proposal or step down,” the protestors shouted.
Minor physical clashes broke out between the police and protestors when Tsai Chung-li (蔡忠利), an official from the ministry’s Department of Higher Education, came out to receive a petition from the protestors, but declined to promise to withdraw the tuition fee adjustment proposal.
Photo: CNA
The protestors attempted to force their way into the ministry building, but were pushed back by the police.
The angry crowd then threw flyers with their appeals across the ministry’s fence, while pasting tuition payment notices on the fence.
“Tuition should not go up, rather, it should go down,” a National Tsinghua University student, Chen Wei-ting (陳為廷) told the crowd. “The government says that it’s facing a budget shortage for education, but we think that budget shortages are happening because the government gives too many tax cuts to big corporatations.”
Photo: CNA
“Businesses should shoulder the responsibility for training future employees, they should not simply enjoy the benefits of cheap labor,” Chen added.
He said that if the government could levy an extra 2 percent tax from the total annual profit of NT$4.8 trillion (US$145 billion) that big businesses make in Taiwan, “there could be an extra NT$100 billion for education.”
Lo Te-shui (羅德水), deputy secretary-general of the National Federation of Teachers Unions, pointed out that as many as 40 percent of families in the country make less than NT$500,000 a year and that tuition fee hikes may be a big burden on these families.
“The objective of education is to enhance the movement between social classes, and to help students in fulfilling their dreams,” Lo said. “The unequal distribution of education resources is really worrisome.”
Several members of the Hualong Union also took part in the demonstration.
Yeh Chi-chin (葉紫金), a member of the union, said he is a father of two private college students.
“The tuition and other expenses, such as housing for my two kids, is a huge financial burden for me,” he said.
“It’s sad to see students become indebted with student loans as soon as they graduate, but then only make NT$20,000 to NT$30,000 a month,” Yeh added.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS