To encourage the local vocational colleges and universities to recruit foreign students, the Ministry of Education has made amendment on issues in relation to local universities or colleges initiating classes outside Taiwan. In 2012, when the local vocational schools have academic programs outside Taiwan, those programs should not be limited in the Asian-Pacific region only. The time span for students to study in those programs can be two or four years of Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programs and so on. The deadline of application for the proposed programs from the local schools is at the end of Sep. this year.
The Ministry of Education has drafted consulting plans on the more appropriate methodologies used in the local elementary schools and junior high schools. In the future, during the morning hours, break and the lunch break, there should be no quizzes. Besides, students should not be requested to purchase the so-called ‘reference books’ in which more detailed information regarding the textbooks is listed. Nor should they be requested to purchase the test sheets. Moreover, students should not be requested to write those reference books or test sheets as homework. The Ministry of Education intends to request all the local government offices to monitor the school authorities in terms of these newly-announced regulations.