All of the 100,000 plus classrooms in elementary and high schools around Taiwan will be equipped with air conditioning by the summer of 2022, Premier Su Tseng-chang announced July 7.
During a visit to a building improvement project at Tainan Municipal Baihe Elementary School in southern Taiwan, Su said ensuring a comfortable learning environment for the country’s children is one of President Tsai Ing-wen’s top priorities. Climate change is leading to hotter and more humid summers, and the government has listened to public concerns regarding student safety in such extreme conditions, he added.
According to the Executive Yuan, the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Education and state-backed utility Taiwan Power Co. are finalizing details of the upgrade project. It requires overhauling power systems and installing air conditioning in all classrooms countrywide, with cooling equipment, energy-storing devices and rooftop solar panels among the expected equipment purchases.
The central government will provide between 70 and 90 percent of the NT$32.3 billion (US$1.09 billion) required for the project, of which NT$2.3 billion has been allotted for planning, the Executive Yuan said, adding that the majority of the budget will be taken from funds set aside for the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program.
Launched in 2017, the FIDP is a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing Taiwan’s key infrastructure needs for the next 30 years. It includes projects spanning railway development, digital infrastructure, aquatic environment, food safety, green energy, urban-rural development, boosting birth rates and child care facilities, and nurturing talent and employment. (SFC-E)
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