Zhongzheng (中正) — a name adopted by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) — was the most common name for elementary and junior-high schools in Taiwan in 2022, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education found.
Eighteen Zhongzheng elementary schools operate nationwide, including two each in Taichung and Kaohsiung, while seven junior-high schools are named Zhongzheng, the survey found.
About 14,000 students, 1.23 percent, attend a Zhongzheng elementary school and 6,143 students go to Zhongzheng junior-high schools, it showed.
Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times
The oldest Zhongzheng elementary school, founded in 1898, is in Pingtung City, while a New Taipei City school has the most students: 1,704 students in 66 classes.
Zhongzheng elementary schools can be found in all six special municipalities and in Kinmen and Lienchiang counties.
The second most common name for elementary schools in Taiwan is Zhongshan (中山), which is used by 16 schools that have more than 13,000 students, it said.
Zhongshan is associated with Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙), who is also known as Sun Zhongshan (孫中山).
Taipei has two Zhongshan elementary schools — the Municipal Zhongshan Elementary School in Zhongshan District and Taipei Private Zhongshan Elementary School in Wenshan District (文山).
Sixteen elementary schools are named Chenggong (成功), 15 Datong (大同) and 14 Xinyi (信義), the survey showed.
As for junior-high schools, six are named Zhongshan, five Zhongxiao (忠孝), four Sanmin (三民) and four Chenggong, it showed.
Secondary and Elementary Principals’ Association president Chang Hsin-wu (張信務) said that the names Zhongzheng and Zhongshan might be rooted in history, as many cities and counties have roads with these two names.
Schools are usually named based on their location or suggestions of residents, while some are named after people who donated land or funds for the school’s construction, Chang said, citing Rongfu Elementary School in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊), named after donor Chou Rong-fu (周榮富).
Elementary schools founded during the Japanese colonial period usually used area names for their schools, National Federation of Teachers Unions president Hou Chun-liang (侯俊良) said.
Some schools have changed names due to shifting political and cultural sentiment in the past few years, local education department officials said.
For example, Daguan (達觀) Elementary School and Boai (博愛) Elementary School changed their names to Puma and Tbulan respectively, to promote indigenous culture and identity, Taichung City Education Department Commissioner Chiang Wei-min (蔣偉民) said.
Jianmin (健民) Elementary School changed its name to Zhuzikeng (竹仔坑) Elementary School last year, restoring the old place name to preserve cultural identity, he said.
New Taipei City Education Department Commissioner Chang Ming-wen (張明文) said that name changes could also be the result of the adoption of experimental curriculums, such as Jhongshan Elementary School changing its name to Jhongshan Experimental Elementary School.
School names are a source of identity for alumni and local communities and also represent the history and development of the school, he said.
Tainan City Education Department Commissioner Cheng Hsin-hui (鄭新輝) said that some elementary schools in the city changed their names to restore their previous names, which came from the location’s name.
For example, Henan (河南) Elementary School changed to Ditougang (?頭港) Elementary School, Donghe (東河) Elementary School became Kabuasua (吉貝耍) Elementary School and Khaupi (口埤) Experimental Elementary School changed the second character in its name to pi (碑).
Some school names no longer exist after merging due to a declining birthrate, Kaohsiung City Education Department Commissioner Hsieh Wen-pin (謝文斌) said.
While schools, parents and communities are reluctant to see original school names disappear, they agree that students’ learning and growth are more important than the school’s name.
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