Students from Pingtung County Heping Elementary School read together at the shared reading station.

(Provided by Ping County Government)

The rest will be completed in the 114th school year at the latest, which will definitely improve the quality of education and the relationship between teachers and students

[Reporter Luo Xinzhen/Pingtung Report] Domestic kindergarten teacher-student ratio: 1: 15 has not been adjusted for more than 40 years. Starting from the 112 school year (August this year), it will be reduced to 1: 12 every year. This is an important policy of the Ministry of Education. In the first year of Dong County, 70% of elementary school affiliated kindergartens and non-profit kindergartens are expected to meet the standards, and the rest will be completed in the 114th school year at the latest; gifts.

The Ministry of Education requires that the rate be lowered year by year starting from August

The population of Pingtung County has been declining for 21 consecutive years.

More than 40,000 people, and then gradually declined. Since 2017, the number of births per year has been less than 5,000, 4,441 in 2020, and 4,158 in 2021. Last year, the number fell below 4,000 to only 3,749. Early childhood education should be more refined.

Ping County has completed the pre-work for adjustment

According to statistics from the County Education Department, there are currently 148 public kindergartens in the county, including county-level primary schools and township kindergartens, enrolling 4,944 children, and employing 570 education and security service personnel. Twelve, 23 non-profit kindergartens, 1,681 children, 133 education and health service personnel, 133 private kindergartens, 12,100 children Four, and 906 education and security service personnel.

Yang Yingxue, deputy director of the Education Department, said that in order to create a better quality of preschool education, in order to reduce the teacher-student ratio to 1:12, Pingtung County cooperated with the Ministry of Education's policy and completed the pre-work for the adjustment. Phased implementation, and in the 114 school year, the teacher-student ratio of elementary school attached kindergarten and non-profit kindergarten was 1:12.

According to the Education Department, in the first year of implementation this year, about 70% of the 110 kindergartens attached to elementary schools and non-profit kindergartens can reach the goal of 1:12, and the remaining 30% will be in place year by year; If there is insufficient funds, the county government will also try its best to inject the insufficient funds.

Private gardens plan to adjust incentives and subsidies

An elementary school principal analyzed, "One teacher, 15 children are really too many!", but downgraded to 1: 12. For a kindergarten with full recruitment, it is impossible to fill in at once, because the teacher-student ratio is 1: Eighty percent of the kindergarten students want to go directly to the small class in the original school, so they can only publicize it to their parents first, and reach the standard year by year after the children graduate.

As for private kindergartens, lowering the teacher-student ratio will directly affect the number of students, reduce financial resources, and increase operating costs; the Ministry of Education expects to adjust the reward and subsidy program.

Huang Putian, chairman of Ping Education Industry, said that reducing the teacher-student ratio in kindergartens can improve the quality of education, improve teacher-student relationships, reduce children's pressure, and improve safety. It is a positive investment in the quality of early childhood education and children's well-being.

The reading class of Qingshan Elementary School in Pingtung County allows reading to be integrated into children's daily life.

(Provided by Ping County Government)