COVID-19: School closures extended until June 14
HOMESCHOOLING: The minister of education urged employers to support workers who need to take time off to take care of their young children during the closure
By Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter
The suspension of in-person classes at schools across the nation has been extended until June 14, the Ministry of Education said yesterday.
Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) made the announcement at the Central Epidemic Command Center’s daily news briefing in the afternoon after Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said the nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert would continue through June 14.
Ever since the government proposed that Taiwan be transformed into a bilingual nation by 2030, people have been debating the policy’s pros and cons. Experts and academics have offered various theoretical arguments, but one standard answer has not surfaced. In my view, as a teacher, achieving the policy requires a review of the issues from a practical perspective, from the viewpoint of Taiwan’s educational structure and characteristics.
The education system is dominated by test-oriented learning. Most regular teachers view bilingual instruction as extra work, while teachers of subjects tested in the joint entrance exams even view it as a threat.
The paradox
COVID-19: Taipei and New Taipei City halt classes taipeitimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from taipeitimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lesson in disease prevention
Students yesterday enter the Taipei venue for the Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students. The more than 200,000 participants in the two-day high-school entrance exams are required to wear a mask at all times. The Ministry of Education yesterday announced that although kindergarten, elementary, and junior and senior-high school classes would be allowed next week, students and faculty must wear masks all day on campus except for during meals and physical education classes, during which disease prevention measures must be followed. As of 4pm yesterday, the ministry said that 99 colleges and universities nationwide have said that all courses will be conducted online next week.