Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, presented plans to repair the homes of the underprivileged and subsidize students “to ensure equal opportunity in education for all” while stumping for the party’s legislative candidates in Tainan yesterday.
Lai said that he was a Tainan legislator for four terms, and later served two terms as Tainan mayor, during which time he established public service teams that worked with charity organizations.
“These teams took in skilled craftspeople and builders to undertake repair work for the underprivileged. They donated their time and labor to improve shelter for families from lower socioeconomic levels,” he said.
Photo: CNA
The program received such good publicity that groups in Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, Chiayi and Nantou Counties, as well as other regions, wanted to invite the teams to their areas, Lai said.
“If elected president, I will promote this program throughout the nation,” he said.
Lai said he would also ensure that from next year, people would not need pay tuition for high school or vocational training schools.
“Equal rights for education is the government’s responsibility,” Lai said.
He also outlined a plan under which students whose family income is below NT$700,000 would receive an annual stipend of NT$20,000, while those whose family income is between NT$700,000 and NT$900,000 would receive NT$15,000.
The tuition and miscellaneous fees for private colleges and universities add up to an average of NT$110,000, but at public universities the figure is NT$60,000, Lai said.
“That amounts to average difference of NT$50,000, and we plan to make up at least 70 percent of that amount, or about NT$35,000, for students enrolled at private colleges and universities,” he said.
The DPP’s vice presidential candidate, former representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), said while campaigning in Kaohsiung and Tainan that the DPP has been successful at placing Taiwan, its democracy and freedom in the international spotlight.
“Now Taiwanese are walking with pride ... when visiting many countries around the world, so we call on people to vote for our DPP ticket,” she said.
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