At the Cabinet meeting today, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said the government should increase financial aid to disadvantaged students so they can set their economic worries aside and focus on learning.
After hearing the Ministry of Education's (MOE) report on specific aid programs for such students, the premier said the MOE has been increasing funding annually at each level of education to ensure all students have equal opportunities to learn. With various subsidies and assistance measures in place, the premier asked the MOE to integrate these resources, set up a single information platform, and publicize the programs to those in need.
To help disadvantaged students in vocational high schools, colleges and universities, the MOE should—in addition to providing basic financial aid and tuition assistance—look into practical measures such as matching students to internships at companies, Jiang said. The students can develop their work skills while improving the economic situation at home.
The task of strengthening educational assistance should not fall on the MOE alone, Jiang continued. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Council of Labor Affairs, Council of Indigenous Peoples, and other agencies that have the means and resources to provide financial aid must work more proactively with the MOE and extend that assistance through the education system.
The MOE said its strategy for education assistance is three-fold: integrate different financial aid measures, offer multiple channels of assistance, and provide after-school assistance programs. In addition to increasing funding annually, the MOE intends to expand public nursery programs at preschools, help elementary and junior high school students pay non-tuition administrative fees, and encourage private universities to offer scholarships. The goal is to provide students from disadvantaged families and rural areas with equal access to education. When every child can go to school, there will be greater social justice and less divide between rich and poor, the MOE added.