INTERNATIONAL IMAGE: The ministry said it would amend its white paper, as schools have not been fostering ‘globally talented individuals with a national consciousness’
Taipei Times
Date: Aug 18, 2019
By: Lin Hsiao-yun and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Ministry of Education said it plans to amend its White Paper on International Education for Primary and Secondary Schools to include an emphasis on fostering a sense of national consciousness.
The ministry first introduced its white paper in 2011, with plans to internationalize curricula over two successive five-year stages.
The white paper laid out four key goals for primary and secondary education: developing a strong national identity among Taiwanese youth; increasing awareness of cultural diversity and understanding of global issues; cultivating global competitiveness through foreign language ability and multicultural knowledge; and developing a sense of responsibility regarding conservation of natural resources and protection of human rights.
However, since the white paper’s implementation, many schools have not looked at creating “globally talented individuals with a national consciousness,” the ministry said, adding that to correct this, it plans to amend the white paper to include “fostering a sense of national consciousness” as a mandatory indicator in its school-based international education plan. [FULL STORY]