Radio Taiwan International
Date: 08 July, 2020
By: John Van Trieste

Taiwan straddles the tropics, and that means that summers here can be downright unpleasant. Besides those who work outdoors, the people who bear the brunt of Taiwan’s sticky summer weather are probably students and teachers. That’s because, despite whatever other high-tech gadgets they may have in their classrooms, many schools here still don’t have air conditioners. Now the education ministry says this is going to change.

Air conditioning for all! That’s the promise Education Minister Pan Wen-chung has made to students and teachers. By 2022, Pan says, air conditioning will be installed in 100% of elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and vocational high schools across Taiwan. Pan also says that old air conditioners will be replaced, along with electrical systems in school buildings that are over 15 years old.

This leaves a lot of installing to be done. Despite Taiwan’s muggy climate, only 80% of its high schools have air conditioning. The situation is even worse in elementary and middle school- only 37% of them have anything beyond maybe a fan to cool students down.

Work will need to start quickly. Whereas in past decades the heat may have just been unpleasant, these days, it can be downright dangerous. Five of the last six years have been the warmest on record for Taiwan. Three of the years between 2015 and 2019 saw record-breaking average yearly temperatures.    [FULL  STORY]