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.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by