Taiwan Today

Advances cited in education There are 5,096 schools in Taiwan, averaging 140.9 for every 1 ,000 square kilometers, Education Minister Chu Hui-sen said. Reporting on the growth of education since 1950, Chu said the number of schools rose by 239 percent during the past 31 years. Enrollment rose even faster. It was 1,054,927 in 1950 and rose to 4,576,426 during the 1980-81 school year, up 336 percent. Full-time teachers increased from 29,020 to 166,727, an increase of 475 times. There is an average of 27.57 students per teacher, compared with 36.35 students in 1950, Chu said. The student population in the school year ended July 31 (4,576,426) was up 27,900 (0.6 percent), the Council for Economic Planning and Development reported. The CEPD report said attendance at the primary school level reached 99.72 percent, up 0.04 percent. A total of 366,856 sixth-graders went on to junior high, accounting for 96.8 percent of those completing primary school. The increase was 0.6 percent. Of junior high graduates, 228,301 went on to academic senior high schools, vocational senior high schools or five-year junior colleges. The percentage of 64.4 was up 2 percentage points. Junior high schools admit students without an entrance examination. Junior high graduates must take competitive examinations for admission to senior high. Academic senior high schools had 66,100 first-year students in 1980-81, a total of 1,513 fewer than in the previous year. Vocational high school freshmen numbered 133,835, an increase of 10,861. Junior colleges had 44,162 freshmen, an increase of 2,603. Freshmen in four-year colleges numbered 28,203, an increase of 641 or 2.3 percent. Forty-nine percent of students were in natural sciences and technologies and 51 percent in humanities and social sciences, compared with 49.7 percent and 50.3 percent in 1979-80. Candidates for master's degrees numbered 2,595, an increase of 314. There were 196 candidates for doctoral degrees, an increase of 27. Graduate students favor the U.S. The National Youth Commission of the Executive Yuan said that in the last 10 years 90 percent of students going abroad went to the United States. A total of 31,365 students went abroad from 1970 to 1979. More than 27,800 of them went to the United States. Only 3.7 percent went to Japan. Other destinations were West Germany, Canada, France, Thailand, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria, South Korea and Jordan. Movie award changes made The Government Information Office announced amendments to regulations governing the Golden Horse Awards for the movie industry. These are the first changes since the awards first were made in 1962. GIO hopes the Golden Horse Awards will acquire international stature. There will be only one award for best picture. But additional prizes will be given for other outstanding pictures. An award is added for best costume design. Music awards will be given for original scores and adaptations. Only pictures completed by June 30 will be eligible for that year's awards. The costume award is intended to encourage research on costumes worn in ancient China. USF sets up course in Taiwan An agreement was signed between the private Tamkang University of Taiwan and the University of San Francisco for an extension program leading to a master of public administration degree from USF. Participating in the USF ceremony was Dr. C.T. Chang, president of 18,000-student Tamkang, the largest private university in Taiwan. The public administration program opens this fall. Taught by USF faculty members at Tamkang, the course is designed for Chinese business executives and professionals seeking knowledge of government management. Students will spend three weeks at USF during the year of study. Dr. Diane Paige said the program may lead to other USF courses in the Republic of China. USF will utilize faculty with experience in comparative public administration and several teachers who have lived and taught in Taiwan. Culture abetted by commission Establishment of the Cultural Development Commission of the Executive Yuan will try to raise cultural development to a higher level. The commission will have charge of originating and coordinating cultural plans to improve the quality of life. The commission will: —Undertake research on cultural reconstruction. —Promote cultural reconstruction. —Coordinate the cultural reconstruction activities in government and private organizations. —Cultivate cultural personnel. —Preserve cultural assets and sponsor cultural publications. —Conduct cultural warfare against the enemy. —Engage in research. Population growth tops 1.8 percent Taiwan area population is growing at an annual rate of over 1.8 percent. If the present trend continues, population will be doubled by the year 2020, said Sun Teh-hsiung, director of the Taiwan Provincial Family Planning Institute. The 1980 census recorded a population of nearly 18 million for the Taiwan area, which includes outlying islands. The increase in teenage mothers has hindered family planning efforts in recent years, Sun said. Women between the ages of 15 and 19 give birth to 33,000 babies every year, he said. For the first time since family planning began in 1964, the government will give attention to unmarried persons. Public health centers have been providing contraceptives for married persons only. Proof of marriage is no longer required. Miss Chiang Chien-tai, director of the Taipei Family Planning Center, said about 2.5 percent of the 40,000 babies born in Taipei each year are to unwed mothers. Miss Chiang said this is the figure reported by the census office. She believes the actual number of illegitimate births is higher. Ninety percent of brides under 20 are pregnant at the time of marriage, Miss Chiang said. So family planners must shift their emphasis to teenagers. Divorces show significant gain A total of 15,328 couples got married in Taiwan in May compared with 1,267 others who called it quits, the Ministry of Interior reported. In Taipei, 1,833 new families were formed and 227 couples were divorced in the same month. Both figures showed a significant increase in divorces. In the late 1960s the divorce rate was down to 0.035 percent. Demographer Tsai Sung-lin attributed the higher divorce rate to economic and social changes, especially: —Mass invasion of the job market by women, increasing their economic independence. —Fewer children. —Greater expectations from marriage. —More pre-marital sex. Malignancies top list of killers Malignant neoplasm a was the number one disease killer in Taipei last year, according to the National Health Administration. Last year, 4,945 males and 3,136 females in Taipei died of 10 killer diseases. The killing rate of malignant neoplasma was 22.28 percent. Then came cerebrovascular disease, 16.83 percent; accidents, 10.69 percent; heart disease, 9.88 percent; hypertension, 4.11 percent; pneumonia, 3.17 percent; cirrhosis of liver, 3.09 percent; tuberculosis, 2.38 percent; bronchitis and emphysema and asthma, 2.19 percent; and diabetes, 2.06 percent. Flights extended to Kaohsiung China Airlines has extended its Taipei-Tokyo flight to Kaohsiung. The flight leaves the Kaohsiung International Airport at 9: 15 a.m. and makes a stopover at the CKS International Airport before proceeding to Tokyo on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On the return flight from Tokyo, CAL airliners depart Haneda at 3 p.m. and reach Kaohsiung at 6:05 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. CAL flights to Tokyo on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays will remain unchanged. CAL said passengers in southern Taiwan may board the Tokyo-bound flights for connections elsewhere at CKS. Taiwan phones top 2.62 million Telephones installed in Taiwan Province at the end of June totaled 2.62 million sets, according to K.P. Liang, director general of the Directorate General of Telecommunications. In a report to the Legislative Yuan, Liang said a six-year plan to expand telecommunications got under way July 1. Emphasis will be placed on the installation of city telephones. For the last six-year plan, the telephone installation rate was maintained at well over 20 percent annually. In fiscal 1982, Liang said, DGT revenues are expected to reach NT$29.611 billion, up 25.4 percent. Consumers get more attention A Consumer Protection Center will be activated under the National Health Administration. Director Hsu Tze-chiu said the center will render service to consumers as a consultant, making checks on foodstuffs and drugs. Close contacts will be maintained with civic bodies dedicated to protection of consumer rights. Professor Tsai Sung-lin, chairman of the Republic of China Consumers Foundation, said he supports the government's decision but suggested the center be independent of NHA. He also urged that the center have a medical section to provide emergency help. Premier Sun Yun-suan cited the contributions of Professor Tsai's organization. However, he said, it failed to maintain close contact with agencies concerned and this resulted in misunderstandings. The Premier was referring to a Consumers Foundation laboratory report that dried shrimps found at local markets contained a fluorescent substance believed to be carcinogenic. NHA examined the shrimps and found this to be untrue. Premier Sun said protecting consumers is the responsibility of the government. He urged public health agencies to take the initiative in checking foods and drugs. He told the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Interior to draft a Fair Trade Law and Consumer Protection Law as soon as possible. Young artists of ROC do well Young artists from the Republic of China garnered most of the awards at the 11th International Children's Painting Touring Exhibition sponsored by the Japanese Fine Arts Association. Children from 51 nations entered 300 works that are now on a world tour. Wu Lung-jung, chairman of the ROC Children's Fine Arts Association, said that the standard of works rises each year. Eight-year-old Li Chia-yin took the top prize, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Award. Young ROC artists won 29 gold, 43 silver and 127 bronze medals. Six college presidents named The Ministry of Education announced the appointment of Yu Chao-chung, former dean of the College of Engineering of National Taiwan University, as president of NTU, and five other college presidents. Yu, 66, of Kiangsu, received his bachelor of science degree from National Central University in 1937. He has been professor and head of the Department of Civil Engineering of NTU, director of the Graduate Institute of Civil Engineering and dean of the College of Engineering. A former member of the Engineering and Applied Science Section of the National Science Council, he is also a counselor and fellow of the China Academy and director and chairman of the Committee on Technological Papers. Yu succeeds Dr. Yen Chen-hsing, who was appointed chairman of the Atomic Energy Council of the Executive Yuan. Dr. Robert C. T. Lee, chairman of the Council for Agricultural Planning and Development, takes over the presidency of National Chung Hsing University from Lo Yun-pin. Dr. Lee, 58, of Shanghai, received his doctorate from Cornell University at Ithaca, New York, in 1961. He was chief of Vaccine Room of Taiwan Provincial Veterinary Serum Institute, senior specialist, secretary general and chairman of the Joint Committee on Rural Reconstruction, and has been a professor at National Taiwan University. Dr. Mao Kao-wen, president of National Taiwan Institute of Technology, takes over the presidency of National Tsing Hua University from Chang Ming-che, who is the new chairman of the National Science Council. Dr. Mao, 45, of Chekiang, received his master of science degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his Ph. D. from Carnegie-Mellon University at Pittsburgh, Pa. He was senior research engineer in the Electrochemistry Department of the General Motors Research Laboratories, professor and director of the Institute of Industrial Chemistry of National Tsing Hua University, and dean of the College of Engineering of the same school. Dr. Shih Yen-ping, 49, of Kwangtung, takes Dr. Mao's place as president of National Taiwan Institute of Technology. Dr. Shih received his doctorate from Purdue University of Lafayette, Ind., in 1967. He was chairman of the Chemical Engineering Department of National Cheng Kung University and then dean of the Engineering College there. Dr. Lin Ching-jiang takes over presidency of National Kaohsiung Teachers College from Hsueh Kuang-tsu. Dr. Lin, 41, of Yunlin, received his Ph. D. from the University of Liverpool. He was vice minister of education and then dean of students of National Taiwan Normal University. Dr. Jeng Sen-shyong takes the helm of the National Taiwan College of Marine Science and Technology from Dr. C. T. Sieh. He has been president of the Kaohsiung Institute of Marine Technology. Dr. Jeng, 40, of Keelung, received his doctorate from Kyushu University in Japan. He was professor of National Taiwan University and dean of Studies at the National Taiwan College of Marine Science & Technology. Palace Museum guards treasures The National Palace Museum has decided to install an anti-burglar closed circuit TV and modern alarm system to safeguard the national treasures. In a written reply to the Education Committee of the Control Yuan, the Executive Yuan said the museum is negotiating to construct a new building with burglar-proof system. Anti-burglar devices in the old building will be reinforced as an interim measure. The committee wrote a letter to the Executive Yuan suggesting that the museum review and improve security measures. Formosa serow gets protection Specialists at the Taipei Municipal Zoo are embarking on a program to save from extinction the Formosa serow, a rare mountain goat found only in Taiwan. Measures include propagation of serows in captivity and purchase of the animals from hunters. The Formosa serow is found in mountain areas throughout the island. The Taipei zoo only has three of the animals—a male and two females. Mating efforts are under way. The climate in Taipei may be too hot and humid. Two of the animals at the zoo were purchased last March from hunters. They were wounded in the legs and required treatment. The other goat was bought in 1973. Naturalists conducted a survey of the Formosa serow last year. After visiting 16 mountain areas in Taiwan, the group concluded the goat is an endangered species. More than 8,000 varieties of wildlife have been placed under control and may not be exported. Birds number 3,669 and animals 5,323. They were chosen by the Taiwan Area Hunting Prohibition Executive Panel after extensive surveys. The panel said the protection of birds has been successful since hunting was prohibited three years ago. Chi Cheng sings for track and field Miss Chi Cheng is not a performer except in track and field. For a while, she was the fastest woman in the world, holding records in the sprints and hurdles. Now a freshman legislator (she collected the most votes in elections last December), she spends her time at the Legislative Yuan and coaching aspiring track and field athletes. Recently she was one of the guests at a luncheon given by organizers of the National Track and Field Meet. Chang Po-fu, chairman of the Taipei Track and Field Association, and Cho Yao-chang, chairman of the Kaohsiung Track and Field Association, grabbed mikes and began singing. Chen Wen-san, chairman of the Yunlin Track and Field Association, urged Chi Cheng to sing a song. Chi Cheng said she had never sung any song except the National Anthem and joked: "I won't sing for free." Chen offered half a million NT$s for one song. Yu Yung-kuang, deputy speaker of the Keelung City Council, chipped in another NT$50,000. Urged on by handclapping guests, Chi Cheng invited Cho to join her in "Wang Chun Feng," a Taiwan folk song. Chen and Yu kept their promises and wrote checks for NT$500,000 and NT$50,000. Chi Cheng, who thought it was a joke, refused the checks but was urged to accept. Finally she took the checks and endorsed them to the cause of track and field. I-Ning soccer girls win in Europe The I-Ning girls soccer team of the Republic of China defeated Finland's strongest team, the H.J.K., by 2-0, winning the 18-year-old age-group title in the Helsinki Cup competition. Hsu Tsun-tao scored a goal in the rust half and Chow Tai-ying the other in the second half. The Republic of China first entered the Helsinki Cup meet in 1978. The I-Ning girls beat Palo Alto (California) 1-0 in overtime to win the Gothia Cup in Sweden. Chang Hsueh-ran scored the goal. The match was played on a rain-soaked field before some 10,000 spectators, including 300 Chinese. Records tumble in national meet Two girls broke the Asian Games record for the 400-meter hurdles and a senior high school student broke the national high jump record in the National Track and Field Meet at Keelung. Miss Liang Yu-chiu ran the 400-meter hurdles in 61 seconds and Miss Wu Chin-yu in 61.2 seconds. Both bettered the 61.3 seconds previous record held by Chan Hsin, a mainland Chinese, set at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1978. Miss Liang didn't better her own record. In April, she did the hurdles in 60.9 seconds at Fengshan, Kaohsiung. Miss Lai Li-chiao was clocked in 60.6 seconds at the International Friendship Athletic Meet in Taipei June 13 and has a fastest time of 59.3. Ou Kui-lang, 20, of Kaohsiung, cleared 2.13 meters in the high jump. He broke the national record of 2.12 meters held jointly by Li Fu-en, Wang Chung-hsing and Liu Chin-chiang. Ou qualifies for the Chung Cheng Athletic Medal third class plus a scholarship of NT$50,000 and prize money of NT$20,000 offered by the National Track and Field Association. One national record was rewritten (Ou's high jump) and 13 meet records were smashed. ROC second in judo meet The Fourth Asian Judo Championships saw Japan capture 13 gold, one silver and two bronze medals. The Republic of China captured eight silver and six bronze medals for second place. Tournament results included: —Men's division under 60 kilograms: Hatsuyuki Hamada, Japan; Lai Shu-shan, Taiwan; Lee K.K., South Korea. —Men's independent class: Ha Hyong-chu, South Korea; Chang So-chung, Taiwan; Perry Pantaow, Indonesia. —Women's division under 48 kilograms: Namiko Hayasi, Japan; Shea Mei-wi, Taiwan; Mulyana Tanto, Indonesia. —Women's independent class: Yoriko Kawamura, Japan; Leung Hoi-yiu, Hongkong; Elly Amalia, Indonesia.