The student population in the Republic of China has increased to more than 4,522,000, accounting for 26.79 per cent of the population.
Education Minister Chu Hui-sen told the Education Committee of the Legislative Yuan there are 4,698 educational institutions from primary school up.
"The large student population is a dependable source of manpower," the minister said.
He suggested there is room for improvement in terms of the quality of schooling, especially at the advanced level.
In the 10 years since extension of free education from 6 to 9 years, attendance at primary schools has increased from 97.65 to 99.57 per cent.
A decade ago only 74.66 per cent of primary school graduates went on to junior high school. Today's figure is 94.21 per cent.
To prevent overexpansion, the education minister said, the government has frozen the number of colleges and institutes. Primary and middle schools will keep pace with the growing number of school-age children.
According to a survey made public at a Taipei seminar on "Adolescent Problems in a Changing Society," 56.1 per cent of factory workers find their jobs "satisfactory", 40.7 per cent "unsatisfactory" and 3.2 per cent "very satisfactory."
Hsu Cheng-kuang, researcher at the Institute of Ethnology of the Academia Sinica, said the survey was of 1,200 factory workers aged 16 to 30. Of 1,106 questionnaires answered, 484 were from females and 622 from males.
Other findings:
- 77.8 per cent said their jobs were average, 16.6 per cent thought them "not so good" and 5.6 per cent said "very good."
- 61. 9 per cent said their skills were fully utilized and 32.1 per cent said they were not.
- 62.1 per cent said they were fairly interested in their Jobs, 31.6 per cent were not interested and 6.3 per cent said they were very much interested.
Asian and Pacific Film Show held
Some 168 representatives from 15 countries took part in the 1978 Asian and Pacific Film Show in Taipei.
Sixteen features and nine documentary films were shown.
Representatives were present from Australia, West Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Panama, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Britain, the U.S., Hongkong and the Republic of China.
Addresses were given by Dr.Michael Yorke, a British anthropologist, and Yao Yi-wei, a professor of drama. Peter Graves, star of the U.S. TV series "Mission Impossible," was a special guest.
Dr.Li Tung-huan of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Education Minister Chu Huei-sen, Government Information Office Director General Ding Mou-shih, ROC Broadcasting Association Chairman Chiang Hsiao-wu and ROC Movie Drama Association Chairman Mei Chang-ling were hosts at major activities.
Cathay tycoon backs Helen Quach orchestra
Miss Helen Quach's ambition to organize a first-class sym phony orchestra in Taiwan has received the backing of Tsai Chen-nan, vice chairman of the board of the Cathay Group, one of the biggest business empires in free China.
Tsai pledged some NT$10 million annually over a long period of time.
Miss Quach moved into an office in the Cathay Life Insurance Building on Hsinyang Road, She has a secretary and accommodations for training musicians.
"With the support I have just received," said Miss Quach, I am sure everything will turn out fine."
She said she would recruit instructors abroad and sign up players after a conducting tour of the United States this summer,
"It will not be a Helen Quach Symphony Orchestra," said the maestro whose disciplined approach to conducting has earned her the sobriquet. "Tyrant of the Podium," "What I have in mind is a Great China Symphony Orchestra."
Delegates from four countries at the Asian and Pacific Film Show.(File photo)
18 U.S. women spend two weeks in Taiwan
Eighteen women from San Diego, Calif., spent two weeks in the Republic of China studying Chinese culture at the National Palace Museum and the National Museum of History under the leadership of Mrs. Florence Drumright, wife of a former U.S. ambassador to the Republic of China.
They left for the United States happy with the hospitality and impressed by visits to scenic Taroko Gorge, the East-West Highway and Sun Moon Lake.
One member told Mrs. Drumright, "We don't want to leave. We think it's unbelievable that President Carter could possibly recognize the Chinese Communists and change the status of the Republic of China."
Another member said, "We loved everything about Taiwan its beauty, its people, its culture. We know now what it means when we read of the Republic of China protecting the ancient values, the treasures of old China."
One woman said the treasures of the National Palace Museum were "ten times as fascinating and beautiful as we had imagined." They enjoyed the hospitality of Dr. Chiang Fu-tsung, director of the museum.
Another member was impressed by the National Museum of History, especially its T'ang pottery. The group went to Tzu-hu to pay respects to the late President Chiang Kai-shek,
Safari park under construction
Construction of the first privately financed zoo in Taiwan is under way with completion scheduled for next July.
The safari park, which will be called Liu Fu ("six blessings") will be located on a 72-hectare plot at Kuanhsi, Hsinchu, about 5 kilometers from the Shihmen Reservoir.
There will be two walls, one 2 meters high and the other 3 meters, Space between the walls will be 3 meters wide.
Electrified barbed wire will be installed atop the outer wall.
There will be zones for:
-Herbivorous animals, including African elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, zebras, ostriches and antelopes.
- Lions, tigers, bears, baboons and monkeys.
- Small animals. Other facilities will include a museum, veterinary hospital, open-air theater, aquarium, dolphin pool, flamingo show ground, restaurant and hotel.
Chuang Fu-lao, 71-year old initiator of the project, said the zoo will cost between NT$150 million and NT$200 million.
He has ordered 525 animals and birds of 34 species from the United States and Africa.
Taipei has 14 public swimming pools
Fourteen public swimming pools in Taipei and its suburbs provide relief from the heat and sport for the city's residents.
Charges range from NT$10 to NT$150. The Taipei Municipal Tungmen Swimming Pool is cheapest.
Private pools charge from NT$45 to NT$60. Some are at hotels.
Pool at the MAAG Officers' Club, Combined Service Forces Club and Grand Hotel Yuanshan Club are open only to members.
Many schools and universities have pools which are open to the public during the summer vacation.
Most pools are comparatively small.
Minibuses do well in hot weather
Air-conditioned Taipei minibuses have been attracting more passengers this summer.
The minibuses travel six routes: from Tienmou through Chungching North Road to Wanhua; from Chungshan North Road through the downtown area and via National Taiwan University to Chingmei; from the Minsheng community to the International Airport and downtown area; from Neihu through Sungchiang Road to the downtown area; from Wushing Street, Liuchangli, past the National Taiwan Normal University to the downtown area; from Sungshan along Chunghsiao East Road to the downtown area.
The fare is NT$6. Though passengers can buy tickets from the driver, they are urged to purchase them at the ticket booths to save time.
The more than 100 drivers of minibuses are chosen from the ranks of the Taipei Municipal Bus Administration,
They must have at least five years' experience, clean records for the last three years and have passed a test showing reliability.
The minibuses run from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. During peak periods there is a bus every 3 minutes.
Taxis plentiful and fares are low
Hailing a cab in Taipei is not the nightmare experience it can be in other Asian cities.
Taxi in the Republic of China's capital city are plentiful and cheap and a main form of transportation.
Since most people cannot afford cars and bus services are inadequate at rush hours, taxis serve a real need.
Taipei has some 20,000 taxi, 16,000 of them registered in the city and the other 4,000 from neighboring areas.
Taxi were introduced in the 1950s to phase out pedicabs. The original ceiling of 1,000 vehicles was lifted in 1962.
In the absence of regulations, a wide variety of vehicles has been pressed into service.
More superstitious drivers hang up or otherwise install images of domestic deities, Some deck out their cabs like Buddhist shrines to "charm away" accidents. Most passengers believe slower and more careful driving would be more effective.
Residents complain that the traffic burden is too heavy. There are 100,000 private cars and 210,000 motorcycles.
Police have been reluctant to reduce the number of taxicabs. More people could be expected to buy cars if taxis were not so readily available. The traffic problem might become worse what with the shortage of parking space.
Taxi fares start from NT$10 (US$0.26) and increase by NT$3 (US$0.08) per half kilometer.
Even so, a driver can make a relatively good income of NT$18,000 (US$474) a month for an eight hour day, six days a week.
To augment earnings, many owners hire out their cabs to part-time drivers at night.
Prominent among the ranks of drivers are retired servicemen, many of whom received vocational assistance from the government. They can be recognized from the fact that they are older, drive more slowly and carefully, and are more talkative.
Big mountain resort planned in Ilan county
The government is planning to turn the Taipingshan area in Ilan into the largest mountain resort In Taiwan,
According to tentative plans of the Taiwan Forestry Administration and the Tourism Bureau, the resort area will cover 1,300 hectares with an elevation of from 300 to 2,500 meters.
Taipingshan at 1950 meters will be the hub of the mountain park, There will be a 1500- room hotel, a 200-seat entertainment center and other facilities.
A major attraction is a 20-hectare lake called Tsuifeng at 1,920 meters.
Hot springs have temperatures reaching 144 degrees Centigrade. Bathers have to pour cold water into the steaming springs.
A geyser erupts for 2 minutes at 10-minute intervals.
Architects are best paid professionals
Architects are the best paid of Taiwan professionals, according to tax statistics. They are followed by doctors, accountants and lawyers.
The tax returns of 1976 revealed that 8 architects had annual after-tax incomes exceeding NT$2,000,000, while 29 others made NT$1,000,000 or more. Those with annual incomes of between NT$500,000 and NT$1,000,000 exceeded 100.
Twenty per cent of the 900 or so architects in the country did not earn enough to pay in come tax in 1976.
None of 6,700 doctors had after-tax incomes reaching NT$2,000,000. Sixty-one had incomes exceeding NT$1,000,000.
Seven accountants had incomes of over NT$1,000,000. No lawyer reached the NT$1,000,000 mark.
In 1975, 400 taxpayers had annual incomes exceeding NT$2,000,000. Their combined income was over NT$1.9 billion, averaging NT$4,750,000 each.
Among the 400 top taxpayers, 102 were employees of private enterprises, 98 were business partners and 11 were sole proprieters.
Coffee shops dispense talk, too
Coffee shops in Taipei have become the place to chat with friends or take a rest after shopping, especially in hot weather. The cost is NT$40 to $50 for a cup of coffee but with luxurious decor and sometimes music.
There are more than 60 coffee houses in Taipei, many of them started during the recession of 1975, when investors switched from industry to food dispensing.
Some owners invested more than NT$15 million for decor.
Most of the shops stress their coffee-making expertise. Each pretends its method is a secret.
The brew gets such names as "Dream coffee," "Blue Mountain coffee," "Vienna coffee," and "Chinese coffee" to attract patrons.
Taipei's oldest house will be reassembled at a cultural village.(File photo)
Taipei's oldest house comes down
Dismantling of the oldest house in Taipei has begun.
Wrecking balls have no place in this job, let alone dynamite. The house will be taken apart brick by brick and timber by timber for reassembly in a cultural village at Nankang.
Located near the Lincoln Building on Tunghua South Road, the house was built during the reign of Emperor Chienlung in the 18 the century .
It took five years to build and all materials were shipped from Fukien. The 200 or so workmen also came from coastal Fukien.
The Taipei City Government paid owners of the house, descendants of the wealthy merchant who built it, some NT$4,000,000 in compensation.
The house has to be moved because part of it is in the way of a road extension project.
Since the bricks were glued together with a mixture of glutinous rice and lime, Li Chung-yao, the supervisor of the dismantling work, plans to soften the mixture by pouring water over the bricks for four hours before trying to loosen them one by one.
"It's going to be a very slow process," he said.
Camping is cheap and popular
Camping is one of the most popular outdoor recreations in summer. People enjoy week-ends at the seashore or on shady riverbanks in the suburbs.
There are three main camping areas -located at Hsintien, Taoyuan and the northern coastal area with more than 40 sites.
People who take their own tents and food pay only NT$20 per day per person for a site.
There are some 15 shops renting or selling tents, cooking utensils and other equipment. Some will arrange camping pro grams for groups. Services include preparing tents, food and bonfires at from NT$200 to $300 per person for a two-day camp.
To rent a tent, the cost is NT$120 a day for a four-person tent or NT$180 for an eight-person tent. Prices are about NT$1,300 to $1,500 for a four-person tent, and NT$2,000 for an eight-person tent.
Freedom seekers get job training
For the last 15 years, the Vocational Training Center of the Free China Relief Association has been a main resource in creating job opportunities for freedom seekers from mainland China.
According to the center, 16,850 freedom seekers had received vocational training and been provided with jobs from 1963 through 1977.
VCT classes in sewing machine embroidery and sweater knitting, lathe and bench work, mechanical drawing and electrical engineering. There are courses in Chinese typing, accounting and languages at night school.
A new class in auto mechanics was opened in July. Special classes are open to refugees in Hongkong. They may come to Taiwan after they have finished their training.
Export flowers grow the year around
Driving along country roads in central Taiwan, one may be pleasantly surprised by flashes of color provided by flower gardens breaking up the monotony of green rice fields.
The warm, moist climate of the area makes it possible to grow roses, chrysanthemums and gladioli all year round.
Greenhouses and nurseries supplying about 70 per cent of flowers going to domestic and overseas markets are found in the central counties of Taichung, Changhua, Chiayi and Nantou.
Cut flowers accounted for export earnings of NT$49,2l5,000 (US$1,295,000) last year. Main buyers are Japan, Hongkong and Singapore.
An official of the Taiwan Floriculture Development Association said overseas sales can be increased by improved marketing.
The Taiwan Rose Center and White Cloud Orchid Company have established display centers in Taipei and central Taiwan.
The Rose Center airmails large quantities of blooms to Hongkong, Singapore and Japan.
White Cloud on Yangmingshan in Taipei is improving orchid varieties.
Prospects good for Taiwan silk
According to an officer of the Taiwan Silk Corporation, one of the principal silk manufacturers in Taiwan, at least 8,000 silkworms are required to produce silk for a shirt.
Production of Taiwan silk dates to the early 16th century. After the Japanese occupation period, some farmers engaged in sericulture as a sideline.
The Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction and Taiwan Sericulture Improvement Station are helping farmers plant mulberry trees. The leaves are used to feed the silkworms. Farmers plant the trees in their yards and have started to raise silkworms more scientifically.
In the southern and eastern parts of Taiwan, 6 to 8 crops can be raised in a year. "Because the most suitable temperature for worms is about 78 degrees Fahrenheit and the ideal humidity is between 78 to 80 per cent, the summer season is not fit for worms," said one farmer who has raised silkworms for 40 years.
One cocoon may contain 3,000 feet of silk. Seven or eight fibers are combined to made silk thread.
With the popularity of silk rising, the Improvement Station is trying to raise quality and set standards.
Men's ties win export markets
Ties may not be necessary to a gentleman's attire but they are still in strong demand.
The most expensive tie sold in Taipei is listed at NT$4,000 and is crafted of silk. The cheapest ties sell for NT$30 at street stall S. The average is NT$160 to NT$340 for good quality.
Most men's ties are made of polyester. Those of silk are more costly. Wool, cotton and linen are also used. Some souvenir ties are made of peacock feathers.
Tie manufacturers provide special order services for schools, companies and clubs. These ties are priced at about NT$200. A minimum order is usually 50 ties.
Taiwan ties are exported to Southeast Asia. Prices are low.
This year's trend is toward narrower styles and lighter colors.