Staff reporter, with staff writer
Residents of Changhua County’s Dacheng Township (大城) gathered at the County Hall to protest the planned closure this year of one of the county’s three remaining elementary schools.
The township had six elementary schools before Yong Guang Elementary School was closed in 2020, followed by the closure of Ding Jhuang Elementary School in 2021.
Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times
The scheduled closure of Tan Chian Elementary School this year would leave the township with half the number of elementary schools it had four years ago.
The county said it was forced to make the closures due to people leaving the area and a declining birthrate, but residents of the rural township said the children who live there are losing access to education at a rate faster than the population is declining.
The county said that it is “handling matters in accordance with the law.”
Control Yuan member Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) yesterday joined the protesters.
Yeh said she received a letter from one student saying it was his “Children’s Day wish” for Tan Chian Elementary School to remain open.
“The student told me that if the school is closed, he would no longer be able to make use of its newly built library, and would be unable to continue his swimming lessons at the school’s pool,” she said.
Yeh said that a thorough review would be needed to determine whether the county’s shuttering of schools has been conducted in accordance with government regulations on the closure and merger of public schools.
The ministry in 2017 revised regulations to be “in line with the purpose of articles 12 and 13 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,” she said.
For example, school closures must first be reviewed by a county’s Department of Education, which should hold public hearings to communicate with affected residents, Yeh said.
If a school is closed, the county must also ensure that there are measures in place to help affected families, such as providing transportation to another school, relocation assistance or relevant insurance, she said.
“What about other rural schools in Changhua County that have been closed for the past 10 years? Is the space being properly used according to an established plan?” Yeh asked.
An investigation should be held to ensure that children’s rights in the county are being addressed, she said.
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