To find out the needs of schools in indigenous areas, Director General of K-12 Education Administration, MOE, Chiu Chien-kuo, visited several schools in Wufeng Township on May 22nd, including Taoshan Elementary School, Wufeng Junior High School, Wufeng Elementary School, and Huayuan Elementary School. In the company of Hsinchu County Magistrate Chiu Ching-chun and Director of Education Dept., Liu Ming-chao, Director General Chiu had face-to-face discussions with school principals and teachers. The topic focused on changing educational conditions in indigenous areas, inspiring children’s interests in learning, and building up unique learning environments.
Magistrate Chiu showed gratitude to Director General Chiu for his visit and his concern for the education in the indigenous areas of Hsinchu County. With the recent passing of “Act for Education Development of Schools in Remote Areas,” Magistrate Chiu looks forward to the fulfillment of equal access to education. He also hopes that K-12 Education Administration could provide more educational resources, which would create new opportunities for indigenous children to keep studying or get employed.
Director General Chiu said that Hsinchu County has made great efforts to improve the education in indigenous areas. For example, Educational Priority Area Project, Education Action Zone Project, and Reduction of Improvement Needed Students Project all had fruitful results. After the visit, Director General Chiu would bring the information collected back to K-12 Education Administration and then provide resources indigenous children really need.
Principal of Taoshan Elementary School, Su Mei-juan, indicated that the joint effort between teachers and parents to upgrade facilities and beautify the campus has been recognized by both the central and local government. Director General Chiu promised to offer Taoshan Elementary School a fund for the construction of a teachers’ dormitory so that the teachers can have a better teaching life. In addition, to improve the quality of learning, the audiovisual classroom will be re-equipped. It can also serve as a great place to hold meetings for the indigenous people.
Principal of Wufeng Junior High School, Lin Hua-zhong, stated that the school has been dedicated to enhancing the academic attainments of its students and achieving holistic education through a localized featured curriculum. With the disadvantage of remoteness and its limited space, the school hopes to give the students more leisure space. Besides, the school would like to set up some installation art works associated with aboriginal culture and totems, making itself more localized and its students closer to their own culture.
Education requires long-term investments, especially the education in indigenous areas. There are many small schools in the indigenous areas of Hsinchu County; each of them has its own feature and allows students to create their own life. It is hoped that Director General Chiu can give more assistance to the schools in the indigenous areas, expand those children’s horizons, and facilitate their future developments.