Starting in August, senior high school students will no longer be required to arrive at school by 7:30 a.m., 40 minutes ahead of class time, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced Tuesday.
When the new regulation takes effect, the 40-minute homeroom period in the morning will be scrapped, and teachers will not be allowed to schedule any classes or tests before 8:10 a.m., MOE official Peng Fu-yuan (???) said at a press conference.
“There can be no tests, regardless of the format,” before 8:10 a.m., and students cannot be marked as late, once they arrive by that time, Peng said, adding that students can report any violations to the education ministry.
He said senior high school students can be asked to arrive by 7:30 a.m. only one day per week, if the school wishes to hold general assembly before classes start.
Currently, the school day for students at that level starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m., with the first 40 minutes designated as homeroom study time or for general assembly.
Over the past year, however, members of the public have been arguing that the school day is too long, as it does not allow enough free time for junior and high school students.
Following a proposal by netizens in December 2020 for a 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. school day nationwide, a heated public debate developed on the government’s Public Policy Online Participation Network Platform, and some 10,000 people backed the idea of a shorter school day.
After several rounds of public hearings and discussions hosted by the MOE, Education Minister Pan Wen-chung (???) said last month that he was considering revising the 7:30 a.m. start time at junior and senior high schools to allow students to better manage their time.
The MOE decided, however, to adjust the school day only for senior high school students, scrapping the 40-minute homeroom period and giving an option for a 7:30 a.m. start only one day per week to facilitate general assembly before class.
In response to the MOE’s announcement on Tuesday, the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy commended the decision, saying it would allow teenagers to have more rest and freedom, which would contribute to good health.
The association also proposed some complementary measures that it said would ensure nationwide compliance with the MOE’s new regulations, and it expressed the hope that junior high schools would soon be included in the policy.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel