TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Education Minister Pan Wen-chung emphasized the importance of English proficiency as a competitive skill for students and the need to promote the bilingual initiative.
The minister, who was responsing to concerns raised by the National Federation of Teachers Unions (NFTU) regarding the 2030 Bilingual Nation policy, highlighted the need for a balanced approach in methods and strategies to ensure students' foundational academic abilities are not neglected.
Earlier, NFTU expressed concerns that excessive emphasis on English in the presidential candidates' platforms could undermine national competitiveness and urged a National Affairs Conference to reassess language policies post-election.
Pan underscored the importance of English and digital literacy for students and responsiveness to individual student needs.
The bilingual policy implementation varies among schools, allowing those prepared to join gradually. Plans include teacher training enhancements and the inclusion of foreign instructors.
Regarding university courses in English, Pan mentioned that Mandarin courses would also be available to provide students with choices. The decision considers students' needs and the foundation of the courses offered.
Pan noted some locales have overly emphasized English expertise during teacher recruitment and highlighted the need for a more balanced evaluation. The Ministry of Education will issue reminders and undergo rolling revisions based on the initiative's progress.
