Groups defend curriculum convener
IDEOLOGUE:The Taiwan Hakka Society chairman said that the KMT’s ‘one China’ stance meant that the 228 Incident was downplayed in curriculum guidelines
By Sean Lin / Staff reporter
A coalition of pro-localization groups yesterday voiced support for National Chengchi University (NCCU) professor Chuang Kuo-jung (莊國榮), defending him against calls by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that he should be dismissed as the convener of the Ministry of Education’s curriculum review committee.
Citing “vulgar” remarks Chuang had made regarding former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), and Ma’s father and his political affiliations, KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director-general Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) on Monday urged the ministry to remove Chuang from his post.
“What is the KMT afraid of?” Northern Taiwan Society Chairman Chang Yeh-sen (張葉森) said at a news conference.
Saying that Chuang befits his job, Chang called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration not to give in to pressure from the KMT, otherwise it would become a “culprit” for passing up an opportunity for reform.
Taiwan Hakka Society Chairman Li Teng-hsin (黎登鑫) said that the “one China” stance adopted by Ma’s administration saw unification-minded academics such as Wang Hsiao-po (王曉波) and Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) put in charge of developing curricula.
The Ma administration also downplayed the significance of the 228 Incident in curriculum guidelines, he said.
“Taiwanese history should not be based upon the KMT’s China-centric views,” he said.
Union of Taiwanese Teachers director-general Hsiao Hsiao-ling (蕭曉玲) said that education is different from ideologies and that the KMT has attempted to pit its own ideology against education reform.
Chuang was recently named an outstanding teacher by the NCCU, which is largely considered a conservative school, as it was founded by KMT during the nation’s totalitarian past, and the award was “a slap in the face” for the KMT, she said.
Chuang is more than qualified for his post, she said.
National Taiwan University Graduate Student Association president Yu Min-ju (于閔如) said that the KMT had long adopted a “Greater China” historic view, and that it could be plotting to reinstate this view by attacking Chuang.
Education should be based on facts, Yu said, adding that the KMT should make known its desire to create history curricula based on a “Greater China” view and see if people approve of it, rather than attempting to “sneak it in.”
Wang said that the KMT has nothing to fear and is not attempting to obstruct the curricula review process.
“It is astonishing that the DPP has appointed such a “foul-mouthed” and biased person who lacks any discipline in gender equality to serve as the committee’s convener,” Wang said.
She said that out of thousands of candidates, the DPP picked Chuang, adding that society would form its own opinion on whether his appointment was fair.
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