Tomorrow is Teachers' Day. Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao today issued a "Letter to Teachers Nationwide", mentioning that Taiwanese students are among the best in international competitions. Honor belongs to teachers who prepare lessons carefully and teach with heart. The Ministry of Education is responsible for being a pragmatic backer for everyone, removing cumbersome distractions so that teachers can focus on the essence of teaching. The Ministry of Education has also launched a number of policies to continue optimizing the system and allocating resources.
The letter first mentioned that Teachers' Day is approaching. On this day dedicated to teachers, he would like to express his most sincere respect and gratitude to every teacher who works silently in their posts and guides the growth of children with their heart. "I wish you all a happy Teachers' Day"!
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Zheng Yingyao mentioned that after working in the education system for a long time, he deeply realized that "the essence of education is not in complicated regulations, but in the understanding, trust and companionship of teachers for students." Every child has unique characteristics and rhythms. Only in an environment with empathy and support can children freely explore their potential and build self-confidence. This insistence on respecting individual differences and teaching students in accordance with their aptitude is the most precious foundation of Taiwanese education.
Cheng Yingyao pointed out that in the recently announced PISA 2025, in the international evaluation of 91 countries, Taiwanese students ranked among the best in science, reading, mathematics and digital literacy, and performed well, which they should be proud of. This honor belongs to every teacher in Taiwan who carefully prepares lessons, teaches with heart, and accompanies children every day. "Because of you, children can see their own possibilities; because of you, the talents cultivated in Taiwan can be seen on the world stage."
In the face of technological development and environmental changes, the challenges in the teaching field are increasing day by day. Zheng Yingyao said that the responsibility of the Ministry of Education is to pragmatically provide everyone with support and remove cumbersome distractions so that teachers can focus on the essence of teaching with peace of mind. In recent years, we have actively implemented technology empowerment and administrative reduction, increased tutor bonuses, part-time administrative duty bonuses, and hourly fees, and promoted the "Social Emotional Learning Plan" to improve teachers' consultation, companionship, and physical and mental adjustment mechanisms. At the same time, we have increased the educational internship scholarship to NT$15,000 per month to inject substantial support to the new generation of education partners.
In addition, the Ministry of Education will also officially promote the "Teaching Innovation Action Plan for Primary and Secondary School Teachers" in the 2016 academic year, subsidize research funds, and encourage teachers to independently invest in teaching practice research on forward-looking topics such as AI. It will also provide teachers award winners with the opportunity to study abroad on a paid basis, supporting everyone to expand their international horizons, bring innovative nutrients back to the classroom, and accompany children to grow together.
Zheng Yingyao emphasized that the most important purpose of these policies is actually only one: "We firmly believe that only good teachers can cultivate high-quality talents and rejuvenate the country. We must respect teachers more." Although the road to education is long, we are never alone. The Ministry of Education will continue to optimize the system and invest resources to protect a friendly campus environment where parents can rest assured, teachers can concentrate on teaching, and students can learn with peace of mind.
Cheng Yingyao finally expressed his gratitude to all the teachers, "You are not just teaching, you are cultivating the next generation for Taiwan. Because of you, Taiwan's education has warmth; because of you, Taiwan's children have dreams; and because of you, Taiwan's future is full of hope. It's great to have you in Taiwan's education!"
