Thirteen private high schools and vocational high schools on the Ministry of Education’s “Extraordinary Assistance List” could close next year if they fail to resolve their troubled operations, affecting about 2,503 students and 331 staff.
The schools have until May next year to improve operations or be forced to close before Aug. 1 that year, K-12 Education Administration manager Huang Ching-yi (黃黃儀) said.
Long Der Commercial and Household Vocational High School dean Hsu Yung-fang (徐詠芳) said it is the only vocational school south of the Jhonggang River (中港溪) in Miaoli County, adding that it has been seeking to establish courses for immigrants and has already filed to be removed from the list.
Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times
Hung Jen Catholic Girls’ High School dean Hsu Yao-wen (許耀文) said the board of the Chiayi County school had approved an injection of NT$80 million (US$2.5 million).
It has shifted toward a focus on robotics in the past few years, Hsu said, adding that after the K-12 Educational Administration’s second visit next month, it would remove the school from the list.
Kung Tung St Joseph Technical Senior High School dean Lee Jung-kung (李榮恭) said the Taitung County school had been placed on the list due to a financial setback.
Lee said he was confident the school would overcome the financial issue as it is in the process of liquidating real-estate assets.
Former K-12 Education Administration director Wu Ching-shan (吳清山) yesterday said the effects of a declining birthrate are spreading from universities to high schools, adding that this was an urgent matter that president-elect William Lai (賴清德) must address after taking office in May.
While the issue poses a challenge, it is also an opportunity to fine-tune the nation’s education policies and launch a comprehensive reassessment of schools and local needs, Wu said.
He said that special subsidies could help local government keep one to three private vocational schools to help students in their communities.
National Federation of Teachers’ Unions president Hou Chun-liang (侯俊良) said the school closures show that education policies, such as allowing the establishment of multiple high schools and colleges in an area, require review.
Action Alliance on Basic Education chairman Wang Han-yang (王瀚陽) urged Lai to review the number of schools in the nation and assess local needs, adding that the government should not sit by and watch as private schools close.
Government intervention is necessary if the closure of schools would affect students and require them to commute to continue their studies, National Parent Education Volunteer Association president Hsu Chu-lung (徐巨龍) said.
Additional reporting by Peng Chien-li, Wang Shan-yen, and Huang Ming-tang
A tropical depression in waters east of the Philippines could develop into a tropical storm as soon as today and bring rainfall as it approaches, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, while issuing heat warnings for 14 cities and counties. Weather model simulations show that there are still considerable differences in the path that the tropical depression is projected to take. It might pass through the Bashi Channel to the South China Sea or turn northeast and move toward the sea south of Japan, CWA forecaster Yeh Chih-chun (葉致均) said, adding that the uncertainty of its movement is still high,
TAIWANESE INNOVATION: The ‘Seawool’ fabric generates about NT$200m a year, with the bulk of it sourced by clothing brands operating in Europe and the US Growing up on Taiwan’s west coast where mollusk farming is popular, Eddie Wang saw discarded oyster shells transformed from waste to function — a memory that inspired him to create a unique and environmentally friendly fabric called “Seawool.” Wang remembered that residents of his seaside hometown of Yunlin County used discarded oyster shells that littered the streets during the harvest as insulation for their homes. “They burned the shells and painted the residue on the walls. The houses then became warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” the 42-year-old said at his factory in Tainan. “So I was
THE TOUR: Pope Francis has gone on a 12-day visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He was also invited to Taiwan The government yesterday welcomed Pope Francis to the Asia-Pacific region and said it would continue extending an invitation for him to visit Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remarks as Pope Francis began a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Monday. He is to travel about 33,000km by air to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, and would arrive back in Rome on Friday next week. It would be the longest and most challenging trip of Francis’ 11-year papacy. The 87-year-old has had health issues over the past few years and now uses a wheelchair. The ministry said
Discounted 72-hour Taipei Metro passes are to be offered to China Airlines passengers until Feb. 28 next year, the airline announced today. China Airlines passengers may present their boarding pass for a discount of up to 34 percent when buying a Taipei Metro 72-hour unlimited travel pass. The offer is available to international travelers on international flights bound for Taipei. Within seven days of arrival, travelers can present their boarding pass, passport and proof of flight payment at an EZfly counter in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport or Taoyuan MRT Taipei Main Station to obtain the discounted passes, the airline said. One 72-hour pass