Taiwan’s Cabinet says that it will continue to communicate with the Taipei City Government about the nation’s new compulsory 12-year education system. That was the word from Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun on Sunday.
Education Minister Wu Se-hwa is facing opposition from Taipei, New Taipei and Keelung in his efforts to implement the new system, which began in the rest of Taiwan at the beginning of the current school year.
Former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin announced a new 12-year education system for Taipei back in November – a system shared by New Taipei and Keelung, which is different from the one implemented in the rest of the nation. Then, when newly elected Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je took office in December, he decided to stick to Hau’s plan.
At the heart of the matter is the way in which students vie for high school placement. Taipei is home to many of the nation’s top high schools, which support using their own, more traditional methods for accepting students.
Education Minister Wu Se-hwa visited Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je at the city government on Saturday to discuss the system, but talks broke off with the two at loggerheads over the issue.
Cabinet Spokesman Sun Lih-chyun said that the 12-year education system has already been put in place in the rest of the nation, and that small adjustments will be made following implementation. He said that Premier Mao Chi-kuo supported the education minister and that the Cabinet would continue to communicate with the Taipei city government over the issue.