Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

New government, new approach. One of the first things Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) did after taking office was to announce the withdrawal of controversial high-school curriculum guidelines that have been criticized for being laid down in a non-transparent process. The announcement also included the establishment of a new curriculum guideline committee to allow students to participate in the discussion and formulation of curricula. This is an important step forward for democratic school procedures.

The adage that “politics should not be mixed with sports, showbiz, medical affairs or any other arena for that matter” does not apply to Taiwan.

As a result of China’s incessant international campaigns to — incorrectly — claim that Taiwan is part of its territory, Taiwan’s presence in global organizations has always been deemed “political” regardless of its eagerness to contribute positively to the international community.