TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) announced Wednesday (July 17) progress in expanding access to affordable early childhood education and improving teacher-student ratios.
The plan aligns with the government's national co-parenting initiative for children up to age six. The program aims to ease the financial burden on parents and elevate the quality of early childhood education nationwide, per CNA.
The initiative has yielded a significant increase in subsidized early childhood education slots. Projections show the number of slots exceeding 500,000 by August, a 31.8% increase from before the policy was implemented, per the MOE.
Additionally, enrollment for two to five-year-old students has reached a record high of 82%.
To address areas lacking sufficient access to affordable early childhood education, the MOE will continue supporting local governments in expanding capacity. They also encouraged businesses to set up kindergartens or on-site childcare centers.
The ministry is also trying to improve kindergarten teacher-student ratios, aiming for a gradual reduction to 1:12. Roughly 70% of public kindergartens have already achieved this target.
The MOE will mandate this ratio for semi-public kindergartens by the 2026 academic year. Meanwhile, for private kindergartens, the ministry will focus on encouraging rather than mandating teacher-student ratios.
Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) urged counties and cities to take a more proactive approach to addressing the country's low birth rate. He suggested businesses invest in establishing kindergartens.
Cheng said schools should consider offering surplus space to assist these businesses in fulfilling their social responsibilities. He emphasized the importance of supporting young people, adding that their willingness to have children hinges on such support.
In addition, Liu Chung-cheng (劉仲成), head of Taoyuan's Department of Education, raised concerns about the current two-month notice period for kindergarten closures. The MOE acknowledged the issue and indicated future measures will be addressed.
