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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Education dispute sparks scuffles
Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa, left, is confronted by pro-localization groups after attending a meeting with Democratic Progress Party Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
‘BAND OF BANDITS’: University professor Chiang Wei-wen sparked pushing as he demanded that the minister of education attend a press conference
By Sean Lin / Staff reporter
Scuffles broke out yesterday after Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa （吳思華） did not show up at a press conference with pro-localization groups and legislators to discuss a proposed education bill to make Hoklo a mandatory course in the nation’s secondary-education curriculum.
The minister had been in Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh’s （許智傑） office, where the two were discussing the matter privately, before the press conference, which Hsu attended.
The minister said the issue is to be put to a vote at a ministry Curriculum Committee meeting in the middle of this month.
Wu’s no-show irritated pro-localization group members and prompted National Cheng Kung University professor of Taiwan Literature Studies Chiang Wei-wen （蔣為文） to block the elevator door when the minister was leaving the Legislative Yuan’s Chung Hsing Building, where Hsu’s office is.
Chiang demanded the minister attend the press conference and repeatedly shouted: “Band of bandits, return our rights to receive Hoklo education.”
Chiang shoved a member of the minister’s entourage, who was trying to clear a path for the minister, prompting a series of scuffles.
The professor later blocked Hsu, who was on his way to meet Union of Education in Taiwan chairperson Cheng Cheng-iok （鄭正煜） and other proponents of Hoklo education, accusing him and the DPP of being “soft” on the issue.
Hsu told Chiang that he was too “reckless” and the two began quarreling inside the elevator.
Tensions further escalated when Hsu’s assistant shoved the professor. The two immediately began a loud exchange while pushing each other, prompting several police officers to rush to the scene.
Later, Hsu spoke with the groups, who asked that DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） be urged to express her stance on making the language part of the junior-high school curriculum to raise awareness of Hoklo education.
Cheng called on the legislator to propose a meeting between Tsai and Premier Jiang Yi-huah （江宜樺） for an exchange of ideas on the issue.
He said that a meeting between the premier and the opposition leader would raise the urgency of the matter and increase the chances of the bill being approved by the committee.
Hsu said that he would set up a closed-door meeting with Jiang before the committee meets to see whether a consensus on the matter could be formed.
He said there is a fair chance that the Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） would agree to the proposed bill.
“If [former minister of education] Chiang Wei-ling （蔣偉寧） can give us his word, there is no reason Wu cannot. The situation might not be as hostile as we think,” Hsu said. “Things would be much easier if Wu’s superior can give the green light.”
In October last year, Chiang pledged at the legislature that he would make Hoklo, commonly known as Taiwanese, a mandatory course for junior-high school students.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
