President Ma and Mayor Chu attended 12-year National Education Conference
As the 12-year compulsory education program will officially start in 2014, Ministry of Education, Executive Yuan will successively hold four policies conferences in east, west, north, and south site to exchange ideas with parents and scholars. President Ma Ying-jeou, Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-pin, and New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu today attended the north site second policies conference at Sanchong High School, New Taipei City.
During the conference, President Ma explained that the purpose of 12-year compulsory education program is to ensure excellent education quality for every high school and vocational school. Quoting Thomas Freeman, the famous American columnist who proclaimed Taiwan as his favorite country besides the U.S.A. because Taiwan, in despite of having no natural resources, achieves fourth-largest financial reserves in the world by investing on the talent and intelligence of its 23 million people, President Ma said superior education is the cornerstone of Taiwan’s national power and thus promoting 12-year compulsory education program is something that can not afford to be delayed.
The 12-year compulsory education program will officially start in 2014, allowing most junior high school graduates to entering senior high schools or vocational high schools without taking entrance exams. Every school under the new program will open above 75% (expected to be raised to 85% in 2020) of its enrollment spots for applications with no entrance exam and keep 0~25% of enrollment spots for distinguished students recruitment, which requires students to take academic exams to apply.
Minister of Education Ministry hosted the conference today, and President Ma along with Mayor Chu were at the conference to hear the discussion reports by parents, administrative officers, and educational experts.