Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian presented a six-point proposal Friday to improve Taiwan's much-criticized educational reform.
The proposal is the outcome of a meeting between Chen and Vice President Annette Lu, Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun, Chen's top advisers, and leading staff earlier that day and is aimed at addressing the six major problems brought about by the 10-year-old reform program.
According to the proposal, the complicated methods used by schools at different levels to select students should be simplified into an entrance examination or recommendation.
The Ministry of Education should persuade different schools to reduce the number of subjects to be tested on in their entrance examinations, the president went on.
With regard to the numerous different text books compiled by the country's publishers, the president said, the Ministry of Education (MOE) should study the possibility of publishing an official text book for major courses within one year.
In order to help students from underprivileged families to pay for tuition, the president suggested the establishment of a fund, with money supplied by the government, the private sector and religious groups, to help poor students attend school.
To avoid an oversupply of teachers, Chen suggested putting a check on the expansion of teacher-training programs in universities and shutting down programs that fail to turn out qualified teachers.
As for the nine-year integrated courses, he said, the MOE should set up an online data bank to help teachers prepare coursework.
The president confirmed the importance of the country's vocational schools and said that instead of phasing them out, the MOE should help them improve their teaching standards and ensure that their students will be able to land jobs after graduating.