A senior American scientist said the Republic of China will not be able to compete with Japan and other developed countries unless its education is made more flexible.
Dr. Thomas Martin Jr., a science adviser to the Executive Yuan, was reporting to Premier Sun Yun-suan at conclusion of the second session of the Third Meeting of the Board of Advisers for Science and Technology.
Dr. Martin made these recommendations:
(1) The Ministry of Education should remove itself from day-to-day detailed supervision of universities and colleges and institute a program of periodic accreditation for periods up to 6 years. The process used by the American Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology is an excellent model. This would provide absolute MOE control over minimum acceptable standards of quality while giving each university considerable operational flexibility.
(2) A new type of master's degree should be given after a year of study but without a thesis. This would permit employed engineers to upgrade their qualifications.
(3) Give universities and junior colleges more freedom of personnel control. Present salary policies stifle initiative, discourage hard work and reduce productivity. The number of academic ranks needs to be increased.
(4) Expand government support of private universities, which are the nation's largest source of scientific and engineering manpower, with scholarships, loans for buildings and freedom to set tuition rates.
Dr. Martin suggested that certain universities be selected by MOE to implement the recommendations on an experimental basis.
Family planning losing ground
The Council for Economic Planning and Development announced that the Taiwan area population was 17,838,386 with 3,782,879 families at the end of March.
Births numbered 73,319 in the first three months of 1981, a 1.76 percent decrease.
Marriages numbered 51,252, or 23.28 people per thousand.
Taipei City has a population of 2,238,841 — 1,158,245 males and 1,080,596 females, the City Government said.
Other Taipei City counts:
— 188,931 automobiles.
— 361,855 motorcycles.
— 128,908 telephones.
The Provincial Health Department reported 342,801 births in Taiwan last year for a rate of 2.399 percent. The natural increase in population was 1.899 percent compared with 2.06 percent in 1979.
The department said fewer babies were born in 1980 because there were fewer marriages in 1979 than in 1978. The 136,365 couples married last year will contribute to an expected crop of 350,000 babies this year.
Family planning has not fared well in recent years, the Ministry of Interior reported.
According to statistics compiled by the National Police Administration, the birth rate was 2.59 percent in 1976, 2.38 in 1977, 2.41 in 1978, 2.44 in 1979 and 2.34 in 1980.
After deducting deaths, population growth was 2.12 percent in 1976, 1.9 in 1977, 1.94 in 1978, 1.97 in 1979 and 1.86 in 1980.
The birth rate is about 1.37 percent in most West European countries, 1.82 in North America and less than 2 percent in Japan, the Soviet Union, Australia and New Zealand. Growth rates are even lower.
Taiwan has the highest population density in the world. Taipei has a population density of 7,950 persons per square kilometer and Kaohsiung has 9,352.
Golden Bell Awards presented
Miss Hsiao Fang-fang of Hongkong won the Golden Bell Award for best TV actress of the year. The announcement was made by international TV star Jack Lord at presentation ceremonies in Taipei's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
The best actor award went to Li Li-chun and the best director award to Wang I-kung, as announced by another international TV star, John Ritter. The best TV series award was presented to the TTV Weekly Play.
Other winners of the 1981 Golden Bell Awards:
Best radio program aimed at improving the people's understanding of government policies: An Ho Lo Li (A Peaceful and Happy Society).
Best educational radio program: Night Music.
Best educational TV program: Sixty Minutes.
Best radio news program: Traffic Lights.
Best radio public service program: I Love My Family.
Best children's radio program: Ping Ping and An An.
Best children's TV program: Young Children.
Best radio drama series: Short Radio Play.
Over 2,500 attended the presentations, including former President Yen Chia-kan and Mrs. Yen and many foreign guests.
James Soong, director general of the Government Information Office, the sponsor, extended greetings and encouraged radio and TV to continue their fine work.
Songstress Teresa Teng and broadcaster Li Chi-tsun were masters of ceremony.
Thirty broadcast VIPs presented the awards, including Lilian Chao, Chang Chi-kao, Pai Yen, Hsu Lu, Hu Hsiao-an, Wei Su, Chen Jih-an, Chau Ming-hui, Fan Yuan-yen, San Mao, Li Tai-chiang, Kung Lan-hsuen, Tsui Tai ching, Kao Ling-feng, John Ritter and Jack Lord.
Special awards went to Dr. Lilian Chao, radio English teacher; songstress Li Pei-ching, who was crippled in a traffic accident; John Ritter, star of Three's Company; and Jack Lord, star of Hawaii Five-O.
Religious leaders honor President
A Solidarity and Self-Reliance Rally of Religious Leaders marked the third anniversary of the inauguration of President Chiang Ching-kuo and Vice President Shieh Tung-min.
More than 2,000 religious representatives attended and agreed to send congratulatory letters to President Chiang and Vice President Shieh.
A total of 117 temples and 51 churches in Taipei gave more than NT$60 million for public welfare and charities in 1980.
The Municipal Department of Civil Affairs said the temples donated about NT$52 million and the churches some NT$8 million. NT$503,202 went to public health programs, NT$31,901,250 to social education, NT$24,686,539 to charitable enterprises, NT$1,721,988 for public facilities and NT$1,717,200 to other programs.
The Civil Affairs Department decided to present medals and citations to 30 temples and 8 churches.
Education puts emphasis on jobs
Vocational education has made big strides in the last 30 years, Education Minister Chu Hwei-sen told members of the Legislative Yuan.
In the academic year 1950, the ratio between academic high schools and vocational high schools was 63 to 37. In 1980, it was 34 to 66.
Chu said the primary school attendance was 79.98 percent in the academic year 1950 and 99.72 percent in 1980.
In 1950, only 31.99 percent of primary school graduates continued their schooling. In 1980, 96.78 percent went on to junior high.
In 1950, 61.38 percent of junior high graduates went on to senior high. In 1980, the figure was 65.37 percent.
In 1950, 72.57 percent of senior high graduates went to college. In 1980, 79.90 percent did so.
To alleviate the financial burden on local governments, the Ministry of Education will transform junior colleges operated by local governments into national schools. In the 1981-82 fiscal year, six junior colleges will be elevated from provincial to national level. This leaves 28 to go at the provincial and special municipal level.
Chu said establishment of a National College of Arts is necessary. The ministry has budgeted NT$305,796,000 for it in fiscal 1982.
Still not enough senior high seats
A total of 355,732 students completed junior high school this year but there are only 244,892 openings in academic and vocational senior high schools and junior colleges.
Of junior high graduates, 74,500 have indicated they will not continue schooling. That leaves 36,340 junior high graduates who want to go to senior high but cannot.
Of the 244,892 senior high openings, 65,550 are in academic schools (26.77 percent), 15,250 in vocational schools (63.40 percent) and 24,092 in junior colleges (9.84 percent).
The National Youth Commission must find jobs for more than 76,000 junior high graduates.
Television college will be established
The Ministry of Education has drawn up a legislative proposal for establishment of a television college.
The China Television Service already provides educational pro grams culminating in high school and vocational junior college diplomas.
The new proposal would provide study for a bachelor's degree.
Specific regulations will be drafted once the idea is approved by the Legislative Yuan.
Chinese girl designs Vietnam War shrine
Maya Ying Lin, 21-year-old architecture student at Yale University and the daughter of Chinese emigrants, won a competition to design a Washington memorial to the 57,692 Americans who died in Vietnam and whose names will be engraved on its polished black granite walls.
The monument of a starkly simple design will be erected in a grassy meadow alongside the reflecting pool facing the Lincoln Memorial.
"I wanted to create something that would make people remember the people who died in the war," said Miss Lin, whose winning design was one of 1,421 entries.
Judges included leading U.S. architects and landscape designers.
The design is in the shape of a low and broad V receding into the ground. Each of the thick walls will extend 200 feet — one pointing toward the Lincoln Memorial and the other toward the Washington Monument.
The names of the dead will be listed in chronological order from 1961 to the 38 who died in 1975 trying to rescue the crew of the merchant ship Mayaguez, seized by Cambodians.
Miss Lin will receive US$20,000 for her design, which was drawn as a senior class project. She is a native of Athens, Ohio, where her father, a potter, is dean of fine arts at Ohio University and her mother is a professor of English and Oriental literature. The Lins emigrated to the United States from mainland China in 1948.
Records tumble in college meet
The 12th Annual College Athletic Meet ended at National Cheng Kung University with General Cheng Wei-yuan, vice minister of national defense, presiding over the closing ceremony.
Forty-nine records were broken in track and field events and 34 in swimming events.
Lin Tsung-ching of Fu Jen Catholic University set a national record in the shot put with a throw of 15.59 meters. Next year's meet will be sponsored by the Taiwan Provincial Physical Education College.
School attendance nearly 100 percent
Minister of Education Chu Hwei-sen said 99.72 percent of school age children were in classrooms last year.
Minister Chu put the count of schools at 5,095 compared with 1,504 in 1950. Enrollment has increased from 1950's 1,054,927 to 4,597,000.
Returning scholars help the nation
A total of 5,345 overseas scholars returned to Taiwan for employment from July, 1971, to the end of last November, the Cabinet reported.
Employers include the Academia Sinica, National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chiao Tung University, National Central University, Chung Shan University, research institutes and other public and private organizations.
The Cabinet said the government policy of recruiting overseas scholars is based on expertise and specialties, not politics.
The National Youth Commission of the Cabinet is responsible for recruiting and assisting overseas Chinese scholars.
Information Office enlarges program
The Government Information Office calls attention to the nation's economic progress, its self-reliance and its Chinese cultural leadership, Dr. James Soong, director general of GIO, told the Legislative Yuan.
Beside programs in the United States and Japan, GIO will undertake information campaigns in Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and the Middle East.
"Various economic achievements and cultural and spiritual aspects of life in the Republic of China will be themes," Dr. Soong said.
Dr. Soong told legislators that his visits to Central America last September and in March of this year had impressed him with the need for national unity to promote international stature.
He said the people should accept responsibility for improving morals and wipe out crime and subversion.
GIO seeks to guide and assist the mass media and not control their internal administration and development, Dr. Soong said.
Lu Hsi-chuen wins golf crown
Lu Hsi-chuen of the Republic of China won the Asian golf circuit title for the third successive year in 1981 with 712.5 points followed by fellow countryman Ho Ming-chung with 697. Third was Payne Stewart of the United States with 690.
All three won places in the British Open in July. Lu and Ho will play in the World Series of golf in August.
Chinese golfers won four Asian tournaments in the 1981 season, the same number as Americans.
Golfers From Australia Burma, Canada, Hongkong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Zimbabwe also competed for purses totaling US$890,000.
Americans Tom Seickmann, 24, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Payne Stewart, 26, of Springfield, Missouri, and the Republic of China's Chen Tze-ming were double winners.
Siamese twins after separation. (File photo)
Siamese girl twins get separate lives
A team of 28 doctors separated Siamese twin girls in a 2½ hour operation at National Taiwan University Hospital.
Li Hsing-wen and Li Hsing-mei were born last December. They were joined at the abdomen and shared a liver.
The operation was the second of its kind in Taiwan. Twin boys were separated in September of 1979 and are in good health. Each has only one leg.
Kenting Park plans announced
The Ministry of Interior has completed plans to develop the Kenting area in southern Taiwan as a national park at cost of NT$1,761,420,000.
The project is to be completed in four stages over a period of 20 years.
The area of 17,740 hectares includes the Kenting Arboretum. A district will be reserved for endangered species.
The Cabinet must approve the plans.
Airport bus fare boost approved
The Ministry of Communications approved a proposal of the Taiwan Transportation Company to raise the bus fare of Taipei-Chiang Kai-shek International Airport route from NT$50 to NT$65.
An express shuttle bus from Sungshan Airport to the CKS International Airport charges NT$32.
The Cabinet approved a Minis try of Communications proposal to allow taxis with permits to serve CKS International Airport to add 50 percent to the meter reading. This will mean a fare of around NT$750.
Taxis without permits are barred from picking up passengers at the airport.
Medical study in U.S. offered
The Executive Board of the American Bureau for Medical Advancement to China has decided to offer 12 special fellowship awards — 6 in 1982 and 6 in 1983 — to medical and public health students in the Republic of China.
The ABMAC will provide 50 percent of the student's living expenses plus insurance and local travel in the United States. ROC institutions will provide the other 50 percent of living expenses and the air fare to and from the U.S.
A wards will be in medicine, surgery, pathology, dentistry, public health, nursing, midwifery, food and drug control, environmental health, industrial and occupational health, health care delivery, bioengineering and basic medical sciences.
Application forms and detailed information can be obtained from the ABMAC Taipei Office: Room 621, 6th Floor, Taiwan Provincial Tuberculosis Control Bureau, 10 Chingtao West Road, Taipei. The applicant must be recommended by the chief of his institution.
Tax collectors watching MDs
Does a doctor make an average of only NT$1,500 a day? That was what doctors said when they filed their income tax returns for 1979.
Officials of the Ministry of Finance have their doubts and want a closer look at the books.
Medical practitioners ranked fifth among 12 professions.
Average annual income of doctors was NT$550,000, or NT$46,000 a month and NT$1,500 a day. Dentists ranked 11th at NT$300,000.
Taipei has about 1,200 medical practitioners, of whom 830 said they made less than NT$300,000 in 1979.
Port pilots headed the list with NT$1,660,000, followed by chartered accountants, NT$700,000; architects, NT$700,000; lawyers, NT$600,000; practitioners of Western medicine, NTS$550,000, proprietors of schools to prepare students for entrance exams, NT$550,000; entertainers and performers, NT$550,000, brokers, NT$350,000; engineers, NT$330,000; real estate agents, NT$310,000; dentists, NT$300,000; and practitioners of Chinese herb medicine, NT$200,000.
Centrat News has new chief
Pan Huan-kun, former president of the Central Daily News, was sworn in as president of the Central News Agency to succeed Frank C.C. Lin.
Chairman Ma Hsin-yeh presided and 100 representatives of news media and CNA attended.
Chou Ying-long, director of the Kuomintang Cultural Affairs Department, praised CNA for its contributions.
Kiddieland slated at relocated zoo
The City Government plans to turn its zoo into a Disneyland-style playground for children after a move to the Chingmei-Mucha area, Mayor Lee Teng-hui said.
There is already a playground for children next to the zoo. The two will be combined. The new zoo will be completed in 1989.
Mayor Lee told the Junior Chamber of Commerce that the city is concentrating on law and order, traffic control, environmental sanitation, medical services and educational and recreational facilities.
The City Government's budget is around NT$30 billion annually, of which 33.5 percent goes to construction and 30 percent to schools.
Farmers will get health insurance
The government will provide farmers with health insurance beginning in July, 1983, the Ministry of Interior announced.
The program will be implemented in three stages with the first to be completed June 30, 1985.
Some 760,000 farmers will be covered for diseases, injuries and childbirth. The farmer will pay 60 percent and the government 40 percent of premiums. The government will allocate NT$1 billion annually to the program.
Only members of farmers' association who work on the land will be eligible.